PJO 100 Themes Challenge
by DandelionsAndDaydreams
Summary: This is a collection of various Percabeth-centric oneshots taking place throughout their lives. Each chapter is based off a predetermined prompt. Changed my username from piano108. Art by the lovely viria!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so I found the 100 Themes Challenge. I thought it would be pretty interesting if I tried it out. So, it's basically 100 drabbles, song fics or one shots about the topic. Mine topic is mostly romance, mostly Percabeth. (so original, right?) I will do a varying amount of topics, though. But all will be about PJO or HoO (Obviously)**

**Okay, so here's the100 Themes challenge. It is 100 one shots about:**

1. Introduction

2. Love

3. Light

4. Dark

5. Seeking Solace

6. Break Away

7. Heaven

8. Innocence

9. Drive

10. Breathe Again

11. Memory

12. Insanity

13. Misfortune

14. Smile

15. Silence

16. Questioning

17. Blood

18. Rainbow

19. Gray

20. Fortitude

21. Vacation

22. Mother Nature

23. Cat

24. No Time

25. Trouble Lurking

26. Tears

27. Foreign

28. Sorrow

29. Happiness

30. Under the Rain

31. Flowers

32. Night

33. Expectations

34. Star

35. Hold My Hand

36. Precious Treasure

37. Eyes

38. Abandoned

39. Dreams

40. Rated

41. Teamwork

42. Standing Still

43. Dying-

44. Two Roads

45. Illusion

46. Family

47. Creation

48. Childhood

49. Stripes

50. Breaking the Rules

51. Sport

52. Deep in Thought

53. Keeping a Secret

54. Tower

55. Waiting

56. Danger Ahead

57. Sacrifice

58. Kick in the Head

59. No Way Out

60. Rejection

61. Fairy Tale

62. Magic

63. Do Not Disturb

64. Multitasking

65. Horror

66. Traps

67. Playing the Melody

68. Hero

69. Annoyance-

70. 67%

71. Obsession

72. Mischief Managed

73. I Can't

74. Are You Challenging Me?

75. Mirror

76. Broken Pieces

77. Test

78. Drink

79. Starvation

80. Words

81. Pen and Paper

82. Can You Hear Me?

83. Heal

84. Out Cold

85. Spiral

86. Seeing Red

87. Food

88. Pain

89. Through the Fire

90. Triangle

91. Drowning

92. All That I Have

93. Give Up

94. Last Hope

95. Advertisement

96. In the Storm

97. Safety First

98. Puzzle

99. Solitude

100. Relaxation


	2. Chapter 2

**2. Love (EDITED VERSION)**

**A/N: Hiya! So, as it says in Chapter 12, this is my new edited version. I looked at the hits for this story and saw it decreased dramatically after this chapter. When I reread it, I saw why. I apologize for the extreme terribleness of the original 1****st**** chapter. There were so many things wrong with it I don't know where to start. The grammar looked like I had my pet rock type it, the OOC-ness of it all was worse than 9,999,999,999,999 Mary-Sue's combined in one story. The writing itself looked like a three year old did it. I am **_**so **_**sorry for putting all you innocent people through that. So here is my new and improved version:**

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own Percy Jackson… Annabeth does ;)**

* * *

><p><em>"Elevator buttons and morning air<em>

_Strangers' silence makes me want to take the stairs_

_If you were here we'd laugh about their vacant stares_

_But right now my time is theirs_

_Seems like there's always someone who disapproves_

_They'll judge it like they know about me and you_

_And the verdict comes from those with nothing else to do_

_The jury's out, my choice is you_

_So don't you worry your pretty little mind_

_People throw rocks at things that shine_

_And life makes love look hard_

_The stakes are high, the water's rough_

_But this love is ours_

_You never know what people have up their sleeves_

_Ghosts from your past gonna jump out at me_

_Lurking in the shadows with their lip gloss smiles_

_But I don't care 'cause right now you're mine_

_And you'll say_

_Don't you worry your pretty little mind_

_People throw rocks at things that shine_

_And life makes love look hard_

_The stakes are high, the water's rough_

_But this love is ours_

_And it's not theirs to speculate_

_If it's wrong and_

_Your hands are tough_

_But they are where mine belong and_

_I'll fight their doubt and give you faith_

_With this song for you_

_'Cause I love the gap between your teeth_

_And I love the riddles that you speak_

_And any snide remarks from my father about your tattoos will be ignored_

_'Cause my heart is yours_

_So don't you worry your pretty little mind_

_People throw rocks at things that shine_

_And life makes love look hard_

_Don't you worry your pretty little mind_

_People throw rocks at things that shine_

_But they can't take what's ours_

_They can't take what's ours_

_The stakes are high, the water's rough,_

_But this love is ours."_

-_Ours_, Taylor Swift.

Annabeth's POV:

The elevator was playing something awful again. My gods, I think it's _Spice Girls_…. yep, definitely them. Why doesn't Olympus ever get any good music? I mean they _are_ gods and all, is it really that hard? The next song that came on was _Achy Breaky Heart_. …Apparently it was that hard.

A soft _"ding"_ spared me from having to go through any more of that excruciating torture that was also known as 90's music. As soon as the heavy metal doors slid open enough for me to slip through, I did. The moment I stepped onto Olympus, it took my breath away. Sure, it had only been a month since the rebuilding process began, but we've made an enormous amount of progress. We already had 4 temples, 13 statues and 2 gardens up. My head turned in all directions, just trying to take in the sheer greatness of it all. And what made it even better is that _I_ had made it.

My lungs filled themselves to the brim with fresh morning air. I began to walk to my workroom—Athena set it up for me a few days into construction—and I couldn't help but notice all the absent looks on people's faces. It was slightly amusing, seeing minor gods and goddess at 8:00 am. If I've learned one thing from this experience, it's that the gods are not morning people. You'd probably crack some stupid joke about this if you were here. But unfortunately, I had to be _here_ right now, which meant not with you.

One particular goddess of wisdom happened to be staring at _me_, though. Her intelligent gray eyes bore into my back like a hot iron press. Athena kept her eyes locked on me like a hawk's on their pray until I walked into my study and sat down. I guess I know why she was doing that. The other day, Percy—being the sweet boyfriend he now is—came up to see me. You see, my mother doesn't exactly… Approve of our relationship. She acts like she knows what's best for me, when she doesn't.

You might think my new relationship with Percy would be awkward, but really it's the opposite. It's just like being friends, except with kissing and stuff. I like this version _way_ more.

On my desk sits three things. My laptop, a big architecture book, and a picture of Percy and me the day we won the II Titan War. We took it on the steps of Olympus, with almost everyone from camp. Katie and Travis were arguing in the back, and Grover had one arm around Juniper. Chris and Clarisse were just sitting on the steps, Clarisse looking grief-stricken, probably because Silena had just died yesterday when the picture was taken. Rachel was standing behind me, arms crossed over her chest with Conner and Nico on either side of her.

Next in the picture were Percy and me. We were sitting on the front steps and Percy hand both of his strong arms around me. I was laughing as he kissed me softly on the check. The picture looked so perfect…. We all looked so happy… and I wanted to barf.

How could I have been laughing the very same day Luke died? Luke, my first crush, my hero, was gone forever and it looked like I didn't even care. Of course, on the inside I was dying. But then Percy came around and when we started dating, he somehow managed to erase all that pain.

"Annabeth," a curt voice came from behind me, shaking me out of my reverie.

"Hello, mother," I greeted, quickly shoving the picture under some work books.

"What were you just… oh," her voice faltered as she realized what I'd been doing. "Listen, Annabeth, I want to tell you something."

"What?" I questioned, curiosity getting the better of me.

"As I'm sure you know, I highly disapprove of your relationship with that spawn of the sea god," she began.

"I got that when you tried to incinerate him last time, mother," I sighed. This was starting to get very tedious. Athena would barge in, in all her glory, and try to persuade me to break up with Percy.

"Obviously you didn't. Annabeth, you know he doesn't deserve you. You could do so much better. Annabeth, you're a beautiful, smart, independent young woman. You don't need him," she persisted with a sickly sweet lip-gloss painted smile.

"I know all that. You're right, he doesn't deserve me. I could do better, but that's not the point," I swiveled around in my purple desk chair so I was facing her, staring into her raging gray eyes. "But I want _him_, not somebody else."

Her eyes turned from miniature storms to fierce hurricanes. "No you don't. You don't know what's best for you right now, and I can assure you _he_ isn't it. I was able to put up with your friendship, but not this. Not with _Percy,_" she spit out Percy's name with about as much taste as if she'd been describing Pegasus poop.

"Mother, please. I love Percy, and you're never going to change that," I vowed.

"Annabeth dear, you are making a huge mistake. Don't you see that? I just want the best for you," Athena replied with a boat load of false sympathy pooling in her voice.

"Ooh-kay, whatever you say, mom," I brushed her off, returning to my sketch of _another _one of Aphrodite's statues. I swear I've done over 100 of these for her already.

Athena huffed very loudly and dramatically before stalking off, and out of my hair. I let out a breath I hadn't know I'd been holding. I mean, she could completely ban me from having any interaction with Percy if she really wanted to. It scared me to imagine what my life would be like with no Percy.

I only got so far in that daydream because a right then a very soft, almost timid knock came from my door. I turned around to see who it was and my face lit up like a light bulb. Okay, maybe I did need him more than I liked to admit.

"Hey," I exclaimed, jumping up from my chair and hugging him.

"Hi Annabeth, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing really, I'm doing another statue for Aphrodite. She really likes those," I noted, walking back over to my desk.

"Cool. I just saw Athena walking out of here. She looked pretty thwarted," he said.

I laughed a little at his choice of words. _Thwarted… _really Percy? He looked a little confused (more than usual) at that.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I assured him, "It's just what you said. I mean, where did you learn _thwarted_ from?"

"Oh, okay… hey! I can use my smarticle-particles too!" He crossed his arms across his chest and made a pouty face like a little 3 year old having to leave the playground.

"Sure you can, Seaweedbrain. Sure you can," I nodded along sarcastically.

"Thanks." He replied. About ten seconds passed before he finally got it. "Wait… you were being sarcastic there weren't you?"

"Yep," I said, popping the "p." "Look on the bright side, you beat your record! Last time it took you 23 seconds to figure it out, and this was like, only 10."

He huffed very dramatically and began pouting again. I laughed and started to draw Aphrodite's eyes. _Should they be Opals or Sapphires? Hmm… I think I'll go with Opal's,_ I thought.

Suddenly, I felt a change in the air temperature around me. I whirled around only to find Percy face millimeters away from mine.

"Hey," he whispered in that incredibly seductive tone of his that he saved just for me (you know, the one practically _all_ the single girls at camp were jealous of), "Why don't you take a break?"

It took all my willpower to not close the space between us and kiss him. "Maybe later," I replied not very convincingly.

"Oh, come on Annabeth. I came all the way from camp just to see you. And besides," he paused to plant a quick kiss on my lips, "I know you want to."

"Fine, but only for a little bit," I caved. A triumphant grin slowly emerged from behind Percy's soft lips. The next thing I knew, we were kissing.

We kissed and talked and walked around Olympus for the good part of three hours. I didn't care that people were glaring at us. I did notice a few looking at us leeringly, though. When those people gawked, I just pulled Percy even closer to me, sending off a "_he's mine, so back off girlfriend_," signal. I noticed Percy doing the same thing.

That's something I adored about Percy. He'd always care about me; always treat me like a princess. No one else ever did that. Not even Luke. I loved how he's so overprotective. His laugh was my drug, and I could never get enough of his trademark lopsided grin. Our love for each other grew steadily like a swift and silent night train.

It didn't matter that my mother wanted to kill him, it didn't matter we fought a lot. Sure, our relationship was different, but that's what made it so secure. He held my heart and I had his. I knew the stakes were high and the water was unbelievably rough—but this love was ours and nothing would ever change that.


	3. Chapter 3

**3. Light**

**A/N: Hey, umm… sorry about last chapter, I lost the original version so I had to rewrite it, and it didn't turn out as good. In fact, I don't even know if that uploaded. Oh well. So yeah, I'm sorry about that really sucky chapter. Anyway, since it has only been a day I did not expect any reviews, but I woke up and found that the wonderful **_I-Was-Born-To-Be-Somebody_ **reviewed! That just made my day, so thank you! Okay, well this is going to be a little Percabeth drabble. The next few will be Percabeth too, but I promise the other pairings are coming! Remember to R&R & CC!**

_Percy's POV:_

"Hey Annabeth, look," I whispered in her ear.

She turned around to look in the direction I was pointing and gasped. I don't think she's ever seen one, not this many, anyway. Annabeth stood still as a statue, not wanting to scare them away even though a wall separated her from them.

"Percy….. They're so pretty," she cooed.

I looked at her face; pure happiness was etched in every line. She was so beautiful when she wasn't constantly worried about the world ending.

"Come on, let's go catch some," I coaxed, taking her hand in mine and leading her out her cabin door. I felt like a little kid again, not the savior of Olympus.

The moment my face broke the crisp late August night air I was grateful we had come outside. I inhaled deeply, taking in the wonderful aroma of Camp Half Blood; a sea of strawberries. The sun was setting in the distance, painting the sky with pinks and gold. I glanced at Annabeth, and I had to will myself not to stare. Her golden, curly hair absorbed the last rays of sunlight, making it glow and shine. Her cheeks were a little pink from the cold, and she was prettier than Aphrodite herself right now.

I looked back to the dancing lights in front of us. It seemed like over ten million fireflies were lighting up camp tonight. Since Annabeth lived in California **(I don't think fireflies are in the West coast… so yeah)**, and Camp doesn't usually allow them, so she's never seen them. I gripped her hand tighter, never wanting to let this moment go.

"Come on," I insisted, 'I'll show you how."

Annabeth giggled—which was completely out of character, but under these circumstances I think she deserved to just let go—and followed my happily. Once I found a particularly large group, I cupped my hands around a few. I turned around and opened my hands slightly, just enough for her to peek in.

"Okay, now you try," I instructed. She nodded and copied my movement, and after a minute or two she pulled her hand back, opened them up and laughed at the little creature crawling up and down her palm.

Again, I found myself staring. Her laugh was like a thousand bells ringing in perfect harmony. I craved her smiles—so perfect and delicate. She refused to believe it, but my Wise Girl really was beautiful. She lit up my world more than any firefly.

"You're so beautiful when you laugh," I praised. She looked into my eyes, and I stared back longingly into hers. Annabeth blushed slightly but kept on staring.

"Thanks, Seaweedbrain," she said. I sighed happily, looking back at the fading sunlight. Annabeth really did light up my world like nothing else.


	4. Chapter 4

**4. Dark**

**A/N: Well, like I said, I will be updating this pretty fast (I'm off tomorrow –but since its Easter I might not update so much- and Monday. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Fridays I have nothing to do so expect updates then.) Shout-out to **_no-percabeth-is-no-life_ **for the wonderful reviews! This isn't really a pairing; it's what I think Nico is feeling/doing while being captured by Gaea. Also, I've been totally forgetting about the disclaimers so here it is:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson….. Annabeth does ;)**

Everything was coated in a thick layer of darkness in this eerie, heinous world. It was terrifying, being here all alone. I needed to move, I needed to call for help, I needed to do _something_, but I was too weak to even speak.

Gods, why did I have to be so stupid? I just had to go and get myself taken hostage, didn't I? And you want to know the worst part? Nobody was coming to save me. I mean, why would they? I didn't tell Annabeth I knew where Percy was and I never told Percy, so why would they care about me?

I was pulled out of my depressing mind rant by a searing pain in my back. The pain grew steadily stronger until hot tears were flowing freely down my scarred face. You'd think I'd be used to their torture by now, but they always seemed to have something else up their sleeves.

The cell they were keeping me in was made entirely out of dirt and darkness. The air was old and unfiltered, like I was underground. Dried blood and tears painted the ground and walls. I was going to take a wild guess here, but based on it being underground,_ dirt _cell, I'd bet Gaea was behind this. I would've shadow-traveled out of here a long time ago—it was plenty dark enough—but my powers seemed to be malfunctioning down here. Also, I was too drained to even attempt it now.

I had been kept in this dirt prison cell for gods knows how long. I stopped keeping track after I couldn't muster up enough strength to add another tally mark on the grimy wall. I was up to 11 when that happened. I groaned inwardly, opening my eyes slightly. My "_new room" _was so dark I had to blink repeatedly to make sure my eyes were really open. Suddenly a blinding white light burned through the darkness, making my eyes water just looking at it. Just as soon as it appeared the light stopped but this time I knew I wasn't alone.

"Hello, Nico," a heartless voice hissed, "Let's see what we have in store for you today."

The voice came close enough for me to make out a single mangled silhouette against the blackness. I could tell it was a girl—but barely. Her hair was cut short and she had a severely disfigured face. She looked like she was suffering from recent burns. Her voice was like sandpaper. I haven't seen this one before, probably some new recruit.

That reminds me, where are they getting all these new demigods from? Obviously not the Greek camp, we all knew each other and we'd know if someone went missing. That could only mean one thing. The Romans were dirty little traitors, and Hera wants us to go save the world with them. I wonder how _that's_ going to turn out.

I groaned in protest, but inside I knew it was useless. They stripped me down to just my boxers (It hurt more against my bare skin) and seized my weapons, so I was virtually powerless. I tried to move but even that caused an arduous to shoot through my body. I was sure at least half of my bones were broken.

"Hmm… electrocution sounds good… ooh! Maybe I'll get a chance to try out my new hot iron!" She said in a voice way too preppy for this occasion.

I gulped at the mention of _another_ session of sitting in a bucket of water and being electrocuted every time I refused to answer a question, which was e_very time_ one was asked. I probably would've cracked before now, but the thought of letting my friends down kept me doing. I know this sounds cliché, but every time I thought about just giving in I thought about what Percy would do. I know he'd never give up his friends for anything, and I tried to follow in his steps. So, I just kept on reminding myself that eventually it would all be over. I was either going to die or be rescued; but I had a feeling it was going to be the latter.

"I think I'll try the hot irons today. Come on little Nico, I have a new friend for you to meet. I think you'll like him," The girl taunted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I moaned again in protest, but to no avail. I felt myself being turned over so I was on my stomach and then tied down very tightly. The next thing I knew, red-hot iron was being forced into my already tender back. It felt like being set on fire with a thousand bee's stinging you, times 50. And even that was a rough comparison. But I promised myself I would not scream. I would not give them that pleasure no matter what. So I bit the inside of my mouth until it bled. My mouth was scarred from doing this daily.

"Did you like that?" She purred in my ear. "Well, I'm going to ask you some questions now, okay? Just answer them and I'll stop."

_Ha,_ I thought, _fat chance._ I gathered up as much spit and blood as I could muster and threw it in her face. The girl shrieked and stumbled back words** (grammar?)**, screaming profanity.

"You little— oh, you're _so_ going to get it now. You're going to regret doing that, son of Hades," she sneered.

I braced myself for what I knew was coming next, though I didn't regret spitting blood in her face. Give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Tell me, how do I get to Percy Jackson? _What do I have to do to break him?" _she asked, moving closer to me.

_Take Annabeth,_ I thought. But of course I didn't say it. Silence flooded my eardrums. The air was tense, smelling of blood, sweat, and desperation. I could vaguely hear a faint buzzing noise. It was probably the hot iron.

"Okay then, you asked for it," her words were met with an agonizing pain on my left shoulder blade. She pressed harder, digging the scolding metal deeper into my peeling skin. "I told you you'd regret it."

It went like this for a good hour or so longer, and I kept my promise like I had done so many times before. I would not give them the satisfaction of hearing my screams. At this point, I'm not sure I even _could_ scream if I wanted to. Eventually, the pain was too much for my body and I slipped into unconsciousness again. I was afraid this was the last time I'd close my eyes. But really, I thought that every time. I half-wanted it to be the last time at this point.

I had a sinking feeling I would never get out of this darkness.

**A/N: (again) OOH YEAH! 1,149 words to the story! That's by far my longest yet Anyway, I think this is the last one I'll update for tonight (I'll start the next one—pink promise.) Thank you all so much for taking your time to read my work. I really means a lot to me.**


	5. Chapter 5

**5. Seeking Solace**

**Disclaimer: Yes, I am a grown man who lives in Texas, thank you for asking! Pfft, if I was Rick Riordan, do you **_**really**_** think I'd be using Fan fiction? No, I didn't think so…..**

_Piper's POV:_

"WILL!" my voice sounded like a thousand pieces of glass being dropped at once.

"WILL! Quick, something's wrong with Jason, he's hurt!"

Will Solace **(A/N: ha-ha, "Seeking **_**Solace**_**" get it? No? Okay….)**, the camps best healer, came rushing over to where I was kneeling. Jason was lying on the ground, soaked in blood. A crimson river flowed steadily and thick from under him. My stomach lurched just looking at it. The trail of blood ran all the way through the sand, poisoning the now foggy water.

"Piper, what do you—oh gods, what happened?" Will's voice became rough when he saw Jason's condition. I just shook my head wordlessly. I didn't trust my voice right now.

Right then I saw Annabeth and Percy holding hands and walking along the beach. Percy must've said something funny because Annabeth laughed and gently bumped his shoulder. Percy returned the playful gesture, but stopped mid-sentence when he saw the bright red liquid staining the stand, cutting across their path. He pointed it out to Annabeth whose gray eyes then traced the trail back to us. They shared a worried look and sprinted to where I was crying silently, gripping Jason's cold hand.

"_Di immortals…._" Annabeth whispered, squatting next to me.

"What happened to Jason? My gods, is he going to be alright?" Percy asked, eyes overflowing with concern. Jason was now lying on his stomach. Will's fingers danced across his exposed back, searching for the source of the bleeding. Unable to find it, Will tore off Jason's shirt to get a better look. When he did, I gasped.

Jason's back was raw and bleeding freely—his whole _back_ was the problem. It looked like he had been whipped with a poison whip. Will cursed in Greek under his breath. A disgusting yellow puss was oozing from the small of his back.

"Piper, _what happened?_" Will looked me in the eyes, his voice flat and serious. I swallowed hard.

"We were walking and then I said I had to go to the bathroom. When I came back he was like this. I…. I don't know what happened," I choked out. Heavy tears soaked the sand around me.

Will sighed. Then he did something that totally grossed me out—Will scraped the puss of Jason's back and licked it. After a few second, his face grew even grimmer, if that was possible.

He turned to Percy and said, "This isn't good. We don't have anything that will cure this. I… does your water-healing thing work on others?"

"I…" Percy faltered. "Annabeth, does my water-healing thing work on others?" Percy turned to Annabeth, not knowing the answer himself.

"I don't know, Seaweedbrain. We've never tried," she admitted.

"Well, now would be a good time to find out," I suggested, pushing them over towards the water. They returned in less than a minute with Percy supporting a large sphere of seawater. He closed his eyes and stretched out his hand, laying the water on Jason's back. At contact, Jason shook violently. I gripped his hand tighter and Annabeth placed her hand on my shoulder. It was sweaty from worry.

Percy did a bunch of little hand-movements and the water obeyed. With each little movement the water grew murkier and Jason looked better. Finally, Percy did a little swish of his hand and let the water fall. At this Jason shuddered and gasped. Then he groaned.

I exchanged a glance with Will. _Did it work?_ We both wanted to know.

"Jason," I whispered with a shaky voice.

"Hey, Piper, wha—what happened?" Jason asked; his voice weak and cracked.

"You tell me," I giggled, eyebrows raised in relief.

He looked past me. "What's wrong with Percy?" Jason questioned. He grimaced as he sat up. I tried to protest but he shushed me with a look that made me melt.

That's when I noticed Percy. I guess I had been so worried about Jason I completely forgot he was there. Percy was sitting crossed-legged on the grass, pale and shaking. Annabeth was holding him, rubbing his back soothingly. Instead of him speaking, Annabeth did.

"I'm guessing it's sort of a double-hit," she began. "For one, he used too much of his powers too fast, and two….. I think he just got another memory back."

Percy just nodded while Jason threw him a sympathetic look. Even though they both had the large majority of their memories back, occasionally one would pop up and hit them like the flue. Suddenly, Jason tensed beside me and let out a small moan of pain. The look on his face was in such agony I could almost feel it too. In a way, I did… in my heart.

"Crap. Piper give him this. You too, Annabeth, Percy looks ready to pass out," Will commanded. He handed Annabeth and me a small square of ambrosia. I parted Jason's lips and fed him the stuff much to his protest. After that was taken care of Jason seemed much better. Satisfied, Will wrapped him up in some white gauze and asked if he could stand.

"Yeah….." Jason groaned. He stood up unsteadily with our help.

Will looked at Percy who was still sitting on the ground, shaking.

"Annabeth, is he—" Will was cut off by Annabeth and Jason both saying, "He'll be fine."

Jason blushed and murmured, "Well, it happens to me, too."

We all nodding, including Percy and he seemed to come back to his senses. Percy shook his head and stood up. "I'm fine, but Annabeth, I'm going to need to ask you something again. This one's about the Titan war."

She nodded reassuringly and they walked off together, hand in hand. I turned my attention back to Jason. He was shivering and sweating from the effort. I told Will I could handle it and led Jason back to his cabin. Once I had laid him on his bed and made sure everything was okay, I got up to leave. But I was stopped when Jason mumbled, "Pipes, don't leave."

I turned around and walked back over to him. My warm hands found their way to his cold ones and grasped them tightly, never wanting to let go. "I'm right here, Jason," I offered.

A trace of a smile danced on his lips. "Lay with me," he pleaded.

That small smile played on my face, too. "Okay," I whispered as I crawled in bed with him. **(A/N: They were JUST laying together, NOTHING else!)** I hugged his fit frame tightly, and vowed I would never, _ever_ let go.

**A/N: Hey hey hey everybody! I want to give HUGE thanks to the following: **_xX9SoftballChick9Xx__, __I-Was-Born-To-Be-Somebody,__Greekmyth91_**and**_no-percabeth-is-no-life_**for their encouraging reviews! **_no-percabeth-is-no-life_**, I live in southern PA, so here it's like midnight. And yeah, feel free to use anything in my stories, but please mention me or something. That goes for anyone. **_Greekmyth91_**, I was actually listening to "What make you beautiful" while writing that part! This goes to anyone reading this, but if you could tell me how to see how many people view/favorite/follow your stories, that would be really helpful! Also, if you haven't already, please check out my other story, **_Primrose Everdeen. _**Thanks so much! Well, I hoped you liked it. Please tell me what you DIDN'T like, because honestly, I'm not too happy with this chapter. CC and Flames are welcomed! Flame on! (Is it just me, or do you think that should be Leo's catch phrase?) Anyway, thank you all so much for reading this and HAPPY EASTER! **

**(\_/)**

**Easter Bunny (^.^)**


	6. Chapter 7

**7. Heaven**

** OH MY GODS PLEASE READ THIS AUTHORS NOTE BECUZ I NEED YOUR HELP AND I REALLY WANT YOU TO!**

**A/N: Well, long time no see! (Sort of) Anyways, I decided to skip number 6 temporarily because I'm having major writers block for the prompt "Break Away." The only thing I can come up with is Annabeth and her parents fighting and her running away (when she was 7) but I don't really want to do that. So if any of you amazing writers have ideas please PM me or leave it in the comments! Also, please tell me what pairings and genre you want the next fics to be so I can make them even better. Other than Break Away, #8 is "Innocence." I could do a Lukabeth one based on the song **_Innocent _**by Taylor Swift. (I like Taylor Swift) Or one where Percy depressed because of the war and Annabeth is saying they are all still "Innocent" or something cheesy like that. Also, I would love to thank my wonderful reviews and all of you who put my story on alert/favorite. I got 13 of them for both of my PJO fics! Okay, I apologize if this is bad; I got the plot and wrote the majority of it at 3:00 am on a massive coffee high.**

** Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HoO, or anything, really… I don't even own myself, my parents do ****L**** …..**

"Hey, Wise Girl, you busy?" Percy sauntered into the room I was sharing with Piper and Hazel and plopped himself ever-so-gracefully down on the loveseat I was currently resting on.

"Yes," I sighed, closing my laptop lid anyway. I placed Daedalus' computer aside to make more room for Percy.

Percy wrapped his muscular arms around my waist and pulled me up so I was sitting on his lap. Normally I would've protested, but I hadn't seen him in so long it just felt wrong to not be with him every second of every hour of every day. He leaned in and pressed his velvety lips against mine. My hands snaked their way up to Percy's hair while he tightened his grip on me. It had been _so long_ since we've kissed I couldn't help but smile against his lips. Sensing it, he pulled back, resting his forehead on mine.

"What?" He asked, confused as to while I was smiling so big.

"I'm just happy to have you back, that's all," I answered. My ADHD mind couldn't help but think about how mortifying it'd be if someone walked in right now. But really, I could've care less what they thought. I finally had my Percy back and I wasn't taking him for granted any longer.

I'll confess; I never fully appreciated how good his tanned arms felt around my waist. I never totally realized that without his humor and protection and stupid comments and his love that I was nothing but an empty shell of the lively girl I was. The saying "We don't realize what we have until it's gone," can't be more true. Percy was my everything and I didn't know it until it was all stripped away from me.

I didn't notice I was crying until Percy's tough, warm hand brushed away the fat, silent tears. "What's wrong, Wise Girl?" he asked.

Concern was flooding his eyes. Oh, you can add that to "The reasons Why We Love Percy Jackson," that he is so caring.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine." I assured him.

"No you're not. Please tell me why?" Darn Percy and his pouty-face. It was so freakin' cute I momentarily forgot all about the agonizing pain of searching and waiting for him all this time.

"I was just thinking about how much I missed you," I admitted.

"About that… I'm sorry Annabeth. I never meant to put you through so much. I'd never try to hurt you, you know that, right?" He sounded so sincere, so guilty even. Like this was all his fault.

"Percy…. Come on; don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault, there's no way you could've prevented it," I reasoned, cocking my head sideways like I did whenever I was proving my point.

"Yeah, but it's someone's fault, and it definitely isn't Leo's."

"And you think it's yours?"

"Yeah," he whispered.

"Oh Seaweedbrain, do you really think that? My gods, this is not your fault at all! You didn't _ask _to be brainwashed and kidnapped for eight months!"

"I still feel like a total jerk, though. I hate to think I ever made you cry," Percy nodded.

"It's okay, Seaweedbrain," I sighed, leaning into him again.

He sighed in unison and we lay down together, just happy each other was there. Percy was my playing with my hair while I drew small circles over his Achilles spot. He shivered a little every time I started a new outline. We had figured out that if I touched it, he would get it back. Typical Seaweedbrain; he manages to lose a supposedly permanent curse and then I had to fix it for him. Although, it was more of an accident; we didn't really _want_ him to get it back.

"Truth or dare?" he blurted out.

I craned by neck upward so I was looking at him. "What?" I laughed.

"I'm bored, so, truth or dare?"

"Hmm…. Truth," I decided.

"Okay….. Do you love me?"

"Yeah," I mumbled inaudibly.

Apparently he heard it though, because he got that stupid grin on his face again. The same grin I fell in love with. The same grin that made all the Aphrodite girls swoon. The same grin that almost made the Aphrodite girls extinct; due to a certain jealous daughter of Athena.

"Okay," I began, "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," he declared.

"Do _you_ love _me_?" I shot back.

"Of course, Annabeth," he echoed.

"Would you rather break-up or go through that whole eight months again?" he asked.

"That isn't a truth or dare, Percy," I reminded him.

"Just answer it."

"Alright. I'd rather go through those eight months again, because at the end I get you back," I confessed.

Percy's "Ditto" was accompanied by a sweet, light kiss. I lay my head back down on his chest, hearing the constant "_Thump, thump, thump." _I imagined it going _Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth._ My heart sang along, both steady enough for metronomes. **(A/N: I can't remember if I read that somewhere before. If I did please tell me!)**

Suddenly, I had an idea. "I love you," I blurted out, same time as Percy.

We both laughed; it was funny how we knew each other so well we could say the exact same thing at the exact same time. _Okay_, I thought. _Cue imaginary audience going "Awww!"_

After that he continued to twirl my blond locks while I ran my hand over his weak spot. It scared me how vulnerable Percy was with this cure. One lucky strike and he'd be a goner. He seemed to read my mind again because right then he moved my hand away and whispered into my hair, "Don't. Just don't think about it right now, okay?" I nodded and began tracing the thin, white scars on his arms.

I could've stayed like that forever, Elysium would never be as good as this. This was our heaven.


	7. Chapter 8

**8. Innocence**

**A/N: Hello again, everybody! I decided to take a risk and go all Lukabeth in this one. Hope you like it! Sorry I haven't updated in, like, 3 days. I had 2 tests, 2 quizzes and two projects due. (Oh, and I decided to quit soccer-or at least for now- because we just moved and I'm really busy and all, so I should be able to update more often now, because swimming doesn't start until June or July, I forget. Anyway, here it is.)**

**P.S. I put the topic up there by the little eight. You see it? It's at the very top…. Okay, good. This is Taylor Swift's song, "Innocent," and no, I do not own it.**

**Disclaimer: I'm too tired to think of a funny one right now, so I'll just say it. I don't own Percy Jackson. Never will, never have. **

_I guess you really did it this time, Left yourself in your war path._

Today was August 18th, 8 years after the Second Titan War. Percy and I are engaged now, and today was not only our anniversary but his 25th birthday. Oh yeah, today was something else, too.

Today was the day Luke had died. I know it's been eight years, but the pain of witnessing his final breaths is still so agonizingly fresh in my heart, mind and soul. I'll admit, I would have it be him rather than Percy, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like Hades at the mere mention of his name. Percy always tried to cheer me up, but even his kisses had no affect on me today. I had loved Luke—like a brother, but it was still love—and it was my fault he was gone.

_Lost your balance on a tight rope, lost your mind trying to get it back_

Everyone thought him to be a traitor. Not me, though. I knew He'd just been confused, lost. It happened to the best of us. Luke had tried so hard to fix everything. He even came to me, pleading for help over eight years ago. But I was so blinded by temporary hate I ignored his desperate plea for help. After that he sort of gave up, lost the last bit of the old Luke and surrendered himself to fear. I still regret it.

_Wasn't it easy in your lunchbox days? Always a bigger bed to crawl into, wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything, and everybody believed in you?_

I remember when Thalia, Luke and I were on the lam. We were so ignorant, so clueless to the hardships to come. Everybody had every last ounce of their faith in us, and they had a right to. It seemed like our perfect family would last forever. But then Thalia got turned into a tree, and Luke went on his first quest. You were never the same after that, Luke.

_It's alright, just wait and see your, strings of lights are still bright to me. Oh, who you are is not where you've been. You're still an innocent. You're still an innocent…_

But that's okay, Luke. I'm not mad at you—we all have our fatal flaws, and it looks like yours was power. You could never get enough of it, could you? Yet for some reason, I was in such need of someone I could always count on that I trusted you. You're still innocent in my heart, Luke.

_Did some things you can't speak of, but tonight you live it all again._

I knew him; he never wanted to hurt anybody. There's a reason why we call them _fatal_ flaws. He didn't want to swim in the Styx and let Kronos invade his body. He just couldn't find another way out. Oh, and lucky me. I get to relive it all tonight.

_You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now; if only you had seen what you know now then_

If only Luke had seen how much destruction he would cause. I knew he'd never do it then. He'd never had poisoned Percy that first year Seaweedbrain was there, he would've never poisoned Thalia's tree. Luke never would have even though of becoming a traitor to camp, to Chiron….. To me.

_Wasn't it easier in your firefly catchin' days? With everything out of reach, someone bigger brought down to you_

Oh Luke, wasn't it so much easier before Percy came to camp and you got jealous? Sometimes, I start to hate Seaweedbrain for waltzing into camp and ruining our perfect family. But then I remember it wasn't him, it was never him. Then I start to hate you.

_Wasn't it beautiful, running wild till' you fell asleep? Before the monsters caught up to you_

Wasn't it beautiful, playing capture the flag, sparring in the arena, and just hanging out? We'd train, talk, swim, eat and sing at the camp fires. Then the monsters would come, but we'd always find a way to beat them. Just you and me, Luke, you and me.

_It's alright, just wait and see your string of lights are still bright to me. Oh, who you are is not where you've been. You're still an innocent_

Thalia loved you; I loved you. We still do. Who you are is not where you've been, it's not what you've done. Who you are is determined by your intentions, and yours were pure to the end. Pure like a white rose on the first day of June.

_It's okay, life is a tough crowd. 32 and still growing up now. Who you are is not what you did. You're still an innocent_

Luke would be 32 now. Everything he's done every one he's hurt, that doesn't matter anymore. Luke was driver crazy by the need for power, the need to constantly have _more_. But Luke is still innocent, like a puppy waiting on the street in the rain.

_Time turns flames to embers. You'll have new Septembers. Everyone of us has messed up too,_

Time will heal this, Luke. It already has. Some people are starting to see you were just scared. You'll have another chance, if you chose rebirth like you said. I know you made it to Elysium, because you were and will always be a hero; _my_ hero. We've all messed up, too.

_Lights changes like the weather, I hope you remember; today is never too late to be brand new. Ohhhhhh,_

People change, Luke. You changed. But then you changed back. The only problem is you realized too late. But I want, I _need_ you to remember something; it is never too late. I'll always love you.

_It's alright, just wait and see your string of lights are still bright to me. Oh, who you are is not where you've been. You're still an innocent,_

Percy thinks of you as a hero, too. He knows just as well as I do you were just _scared._ You were afraid; you thought no one could help you. I would've helped you, Luke. I should've…..

_It's ok Life is a tough crowd, 32 and still growing up now. Who you are is not what you did. You're still an innocent. You're still an innocent,_

It's okay, baby, it's okay. I forgive you, Thalia forgives you, and we all forgive you. They never said life would be easy, they just promised it'd be worth it. But was it really worth it? Luke would've had a family by now, maybe even kids.

_Lost your balance on a tight rope, oh. It's never too late to get it back….._

Don't worry, Luke, I'll always remember you as the Hero you really are.


	8. Chapter 9

**9. Drive**

**A/N: another update, my little Marshmallows! Well, I have been waiting a long time to write this one. I've had some ideas for this for a while now….. Anyway, please review, I only got 2 on #7, and I don't know how many I got for #8. About the whole "Breath Again" thingy, I'm still having major writers block for that. If you have any ideas, please tell me!**

**Oh, and this is to **_PercabethAndZebrasFTW_, **Thank you SOO much for the CC! I never get that, and I love when I do! I don't care if you say you've tasted toilet water that brought you more pleasure than reading my stuff, at least you're honest. You won't hurt my feelings, I swear. And yes, you can use my disclaimer. That goes for anybody.**

**P.S. I put the topic up there by the little nine. You see it? It's at the very top…. Okay, good.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah! Did you hear! Rick Riordan got plastic surgery and now looks like a twelve year old girl with curly blond hair and gray eyes! Yeah….. No. Of course I don't own PJO! I also don't own: **_The Wonder Pets, Friday, the Hunger Games, the song "Peeta and I know it," Taylor Swift, Gale, Peeta (I wish), One Direction (I wish) Taylor Lautner (Dear gods I wish) _**or**_ Sexy and I Know it._

_Annabeth's POV:_

"WONDER PETS, WONDER PETS WE'RE ON OUR WAY—"

"Shut UP, Percy! You four have been shouting that for the past three miles!" I screamed at my boyfriend and my three annoying friends sprawled out in the back seats. My other friend, Piper, was sitting next to me; jaw tight and fists clenched in annoyance. My hands were gripping the steering wheel so tight I was sure the skin across my knuckles would tear.

"But, Annie-bethhhhh, it's fun!" Percy whined.

I gave him my best glare in the rear view mirror, making him visibly shrink back.

"_Don't_ call me Annie-beth, Seaweedbrain," I growled.

"Fine… you thinking what I'm thinking, guys?" Leo provoked.

Jason, Nico and Percy got this little mischievous smile on their faces that honestly scared the living Hades out of me.

"IT'S FRIDAY, FRIDAY, GOTTA GET DOWN ON FRIDAY!" Jason, Nico, Percy and Leo sang at the top of their lungs. Piper and I groaned but I kept on driving.

"Jason," Piper cooed in her most persuasive tone of voice, "If you stop that, than when we get back to camp maybe we could…. Oh, I don't know….. go to your cabin or something…"

A smile drew itself on my face as I realized what she was trying to do. "Yeah, Percy, maybe we could too…"

The boys had stopped singing now, and only Nico looked confused. "Hey, well that might be a reason for _them_ to stop, but not—"

I cut Leo off by saying, "I'm sure I could get Reyna to join. She's visiting Camp Half Blood today, you know."

Leo swallowed hard, exchanging glances with the two other boys sitting on either side of him. Nico, who was in the far back, peered over Leo's head, still confused.

"What..." realization seemed to hit Nico. He covered his ears and screamed loudly "HOW ABOUT WE KEEP THIS G-RATED! KID IN THE CAR, PEOPLE!" Then he started to chant a series of very loud, very annoying _"La-la-la"_'s.

For a brief second there was silence, only to be broken by our laughter. After a few minutes of cracking up, we finally calmed down enough to hear the guy's answers.

"Well….." Jason began, wriggling his eyebrows in a totally perverted way.

"Hey Jason, you know you look like a total perv right now, right?" Percy voiced my thoughts.

Jason seemed to realize what he'd been doing a moment before and blushed furiously. "Err—what I meant to say was…" Jason faltered, not sure how to recover.

"What he means is we'll shut up, if…" Percy trailed off.

"If what?" I asked more than a little afraid.

"If you give us a kiss," Jason finished.

Piper and I looked at each other and sighed in defeat. I leaned back and gave Percy a quick kiss and Piper did the same. "There. _Now_ will you shut up?" Piper begged.

"Aw, come on!" Percy groaned.

"What do you want me to do? I can't really kiss you while driving," I pointed out.

"Well…" Percy argued, moving closer.

"Perseus Jackson you move an inch closer to me and I will cut off you're soft spot, repeatedly stab it, then feed it to the Harpies and make you watch," I threatened with my best I'm-going-to-kill-you-then-bring-you-back-to-life-so-I-can-kill-you-again glare.

Percy practically became part of the seat he shrunk back so far. "Jeez, Annabeth. Touché."

"Is it safe?" Nico asked in a small voice, slowly moving his hands away from his ears.

"No. Annabeth and I are gonna go do it while Piper and Jason go and—"

"OH MY GODS! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU THERE IS A FREAKING CHILD IN THE CAR! LA LA LA LA, I'm not HEARING THIS!" Nico started screaming, covering his ears as fast as lightning. **(A/N: weird comparison, I know…)**

"PERSEUS AARON JACKSON, WE ARE _NOT_ GOING TO—" I screamed.

"JASON BRADLY GRACE, WE WILL _NOT_—" Piper echoed.

The three idiots that we call our boyfriends were laughing so hard in the back seat I was afraid their sides would literally split open.

"Gods I'm glad Reyna isn't here," Leo gasped in between laughs.

"Oh, come on Annabeth. I know you want some…" Percy left that sentence hanging.

"So help me if you finish that sentence I will rip off your girly little legs and beat you with them," I taunted.

A chorus of "oohhh…"'s went around the small car.

"You know you love me," Percy said.

"Unfortunately I do," I agreed.

It was silent for a little while, so I decided to turn on the radio. I didn't realize until now that that might have been the worst mistake I'd made, like, ever. Because when the music started pouring out of the speaker, guess what was on. Go ahead, guess…..

"I'M SEXY AND I KNOW IT!" Leo shouted along with the other guys.

Piper and I glanced at each other and began singing our own little song, too.

"When I walk out of my shop, this is what I see. Katniss Everdeen in a-lookin' at me. I got a loaf in my hands and I ain't afraid to throw it, throw it, throw," we paused along with the music, "I'M PEETA AND I KNOW IT!"

Piper and I started cracking up, while the boys threw us extremely confused looks. "Who is Peeta and why is he throwing his "loaf" all over some girl named Katniss? Or at least I _hope_ Katniss is a girl…" Jason asked.

"Peeta. Peeta Mellark. From the Hunger Games…" Piper prompted.

They still didn't get it.

"You know, Josh Hutcherson… the totally sexy guy who plays Peeta in the movies," I added.

"Excuse me?" Percy said in that I'm-so-jealous-I-just-won't-say-it tone of his.

"So what if I think some other guy is sexy? Piper agrees with me, and so does Reyna. Right Pipes?"

"Yeah. But personally I like Liam Hemsworth," she suggested.

I pretended to puke, "Uhg, no. I'm so team Peeta." We continued to argue over who was hotter, Gale or Peeta, when finally Piper ended it by saying, "At least we can agree that Taylor Lautner is one of the most hot guys to walk this earth, like, ever."

I nodded. "You know, he kinda looks like Percy." I pointed out.

Piper grabbed her phone and pulled up a picture of him, shirtless. "Percy," Piper commanded with loads of her charm speak, "Take you shirt off."

Percy, who fell for her powers worse than anybody, immediately removed his shirt revealing a very toned and a very tanned 8-pack. Piper looked between the two of them and whistled. "Gods, Annabeth. You are one lucky girl. You have a freaking clone of Taylor Lautner as your boyfriend."

I laughed and said, "Yes, but don't even tell him that when he's not controlled by your charm speak. If his head gets any bigger, I don't know how he'll walk around without falling over."

"You know, you kind of look like Taylor Swift," Jason said. That pulled Percy out of his trance.

"What did you say— hey! What happened to my shirt _this_ time?" Percy shouted. I laughed. Once Drew charm spoke him into taking off his shirt and going swimming with them. The next morning, Drew and all of her friends had neon blue hair.

"Here look at this," Jason brought up a picture of an absolutely gorgeous girl on his phone. "It's Taylor Swift. Don't you think Annabeth looks like her?"

Percy studied the picture a little longer. "If that girl had gray eye's she'd be Annabeth's twin."

"Oh come on, I'm not _that_ pretty," I was cut off by 5 simultaneous "Yes you are"'s.

I blushed and said, "Well Percy looks like this guy," I snatched Piper's phone and held it up to everyone. "Wow. Hey really does," Jason and Leo agreed. I guess Nico had fallen asleep or something. Oh well.

"Guys, come on. That dude is totally ripped—"

"So are you," everyone sang.

"Fine. I guess Annabeth and I am just a totally hot couple," Percy stated, folding his arms across his chest.

"It's kinda true," Piper admitted. I huffed and put all my focus back on driving. Again, I found it a little too quite so I tuned the radio _back_ on. Second biggest mistake of my life.

"That's what makes you beautiful. Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na…."

"OH MY GODS IT'S ONE DIRECTION!" Leo squeaked like a crazed 13 year old fan girl.

The boys began singing along to them, too. "How can you like them? They're so…. So boybandish," I reasoned.

"DO NOT DISS ONE DIRECTION! THEY ARE BEAST!" Jason scolded.

_Oh gods, _I thought. _Three more miles….._

This was going to be a _long_ trip back.


	9. Chapter 10

**10. Breathe Again.**

**A/N: Hallo mein kleines Eichhörnchen! I finally got this thing to work! Okay, I want to thank **_PercabethAndZebrasFTW_** and **_Kaitie85386_ **for the reviews! I actually love One Direction, even though they are very boybandish.**

**This is the "Percabeth Reunion" scene. I just love this song for it, even though I hate Twilight.**

**P.S. I put the topic up there by the little ten. You see it? It's at the very top…. Okay, good.**

**Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Percy Jackson… Annabeth does. I also don't own the song: A Thousand Years. There's a reason why it says "by: Christina Perri."**

_**Annabeth's POV:**_

_Heart beats fast, colors and promises. How to be brave? How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?_

My heart is beating so, so fast; matching the pace of my fingers strumming the railing. The boat is landing now. Blurred colors and faces swim around me as I try to hold back the tears. The same tears I haven't let myself cry in eight months. But they fall, slowly at first, then accelerating to an ocean of anguish. I don't know how to be brave anymore. I've been hurt so many times. How am I supposed to be expected to love, to take a risk, when I'm afraid to fall?

_But watching you stand alone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow._

I can see you now. Looks like you don't have another girlfriend, do you? I feel a "thud" and am thrown to the ground. I hear a few "Good going, Leo."'s from various annoyed campers. But I don't really pay attention to any of this. My mind is occupied by one thought; Percy.

Jason starts walking off the boat, and I absentmindedly follow as planned. You start to make your way towards us, and I half think I see a flicker of recognition brush across his face. It was just a glimmer, but it was enough. Suddenly all of my doubt and fears fade away along with the pain that's been accumulating over the past eight months.

_One step closer._

It scared me when I woke up one morning and I realized I couldn't remember the exact tone of your laugh, or how many freckles spotted your face when you smiled. So now I seize the chance to study every detail about you.

Jason stops and begins to speak, but I don't stop. My feet take me forward toward you. Just one step closer…

_I have died everyday waiting for you. Darling don't be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more_

I'm almost there. I can smell the sea coming from him. My heartbeat quickens even more—if that's possible. As I look into those beautiful sea-green eyes, I realize I'm not afraid anymore. I'm drowning in the ocean, and I don't even want to call for help. I have loved him for a thousand years, and I'll love him for a thousand more.

_**Percy's POV:**_

_Time stands still. Beauty in all she is,_

There she is. I feel like the air around me is holding its breath. I'm about to suffocate from the tension, but I catch sight of a lock of golden curly hair. Annabeth's clothes are hanging off her in a way that makes my stomach churn from guilt. Half her face is obscured in purple. Her hair is knotty and thrown up in a messy ponytail. Yet she has never looked more beautiful.

_I will be brave; I will not let anything take away what's standing in front of me_

I'll be strong for the both of us. Annabeth's crying now, and it hurts like a poisoned dagger to know I caused those tears. This worries me even more—Annabeth never cries. I make a silent vow to never let anyone hurt her anymore.

_Every breath, every hour has come to this. One step closer,_

All those times I had nothing to cling on to, all those times I couldn't find a reason to go on, I thought of her. My Annabeth was here again. Every second of every minute of every hour of everyday has led to this moment. Right here, right now.

_I have died everyday waiting for you. Darling don't be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years; I'll love you for a thousand more._

And then it happens; gray meets green and I can visibly see her become whole again. I have died everyday waiting for her, and I need her to know that. I need her to know that I remember; that I never forgot. Annabeth's been betrayed and abandoned so many times….. And now I'm on that list. It's all I can do to keep from crying, too. There are so many words to say, I don't think two eternities would be enough time to tell her it all. A guess half a heartbeat will do. I have loved her for a thousand years, and I'll lover her for a thousand more.

_**Third Person POV:**_

_And all along I believed I would find you. Time has brought your heart to me._

Ever since the day he disappeared, deep down she knew he would come back. She knew that over time—even an excruciating eight months of time—the pain would lessen as she grew more and more secure. She would see him again, because he always came back.

_I have loved you for a thousand years; I'll love you for a thousand more_

They might not have realized it then, but ever since Annabeth saw that mop of messy black hair; that pale face stained with the golden residue of monster dust, she was in love. Little did Percy know he's been trapped by love's stubborn gates since the first time he gazed into those stormy gray eyes he'd come to love so much.

_One step closer, one step closer, _

Another step, then another one. They can almost touch each other now. Just as few more steps…

_I have died everyday waiting for you._ _Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years; I'll love you for a thousand more. And all along I believed I would find you. Time has brought your heart to me._

They touch, and 100 pounds of worry is lifted off her shoulders. Percy spins her around and kisses her like nobody's watching. A river of relief washes down her face. Annabeth's cheeks look like the pavement after the rain—wet, but renewed. Then he says it.

"I love you," and she says it too, without any thought or hesitation. "I love you."

_I have loved you for a thousand years; I'll love you for a thousand more…_

They have always loved each other. She finally found him, and he has finally found her. Now they can breathe again.


	10. Chapter 6 Finally!

**6. Break Away**

**A/N: Hola! This is dedicated to **_ireadeverythang64_** for giving me the idea! Thank you sososososoSO much! Alright, this is extremely short (It's only one page on Word), but it's a pretty short topic. My next one will either be out tonight or tomorrow.**

**P.S. I put the topic up there by the little six. You see it? It's at the very top…. Okay, good.**

**Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Percy Jackson… Annabeth does.**

_Franks POV:_

I can feel my bones shift, my hair grows and everything else on my body morph into something much more comfortable. And before I know it, the wind is in my face and whistling in my ears. I am aware of a lot more now, because I've found that turning into a bird really enhances your senses.

Shouts follow me across the sky. Some are confused, coming from those who haven't seen this before. Others are slightly amused, egging me on. And there is that one voice that sticks out from a crowd of a million—Hazel's voice. She's calling me back down, but I simply don't want to. I love the feeling of turning into something else, especially a bird; specifically a bald eagle. They're so… free.

When I'm like this, I feel special. I mean, Percy has all his water powers, Leo can make fire, Piper can charm speak, Annabeth's a freaking Einstein, Hazel is purely amazing at everything, and Jason can _fly_. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not as important as the others, that I'm just here as a big old idiot along for the ride.

But then I do _this_ and I feel like I'm breaking out of a cage. Every restraint that's been put on me disintegrates the moment my wings begin to flap and my feet leave the ground. The sensation it brings is like nothing else, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm leaving behind every last worry, every single stress being a demi-god puts on you.

The sun is bright today, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. The air is sweet and fresh up here, pure like the first tulip of spring. The feathers on my skin feel natural to me, and I crave the feeling of the wind rushing past me. I can't hear my friends below anymore.

After about a half-hour of flying, I decide it's best to land. I circle the ground a few times, trying to ignore the protesting feeling in my gut. I hate landing, I hate turning back into the awkward boy that is me. But my friends need me for this quest. Yet whenever I'm in the air, or being anything, really, I feel like I'm finally able to break free.

To break away.


	11. Chapter 11

**11. Memory**

**A/N: Ciao! Well, I just checked on Barnes and Noble, and The Mark of Athena is coming out on October 2nd! Yay, that means I can get it for my birthday! (It's the fourth… and yes; SoN came out on my birthday. Best. Present. Ever.) So, in honor of me finding that out, here is my first ever Jason-centric chapter. (I promise I'll do a Tratie for either Misfortune or Smile.) This is okay, I don't really like it.**

**Anyway, if it's okay with you guys, I can make these a lot better but the updates would be at least a day slower. Because most of the time I write, do a quick once-over, and post it. I feel like I should start actually editing these a little bit to make them better. If you could put your opinion on this in the comments, that would be great! Oh yeah, also, if all of you could try to include something I totally screwed up on in this chapter, because the only way I'll get better is if I know what I'm doing wrong. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I am flattered to think you though I actually owned PJO.**

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><p><span>Jason's POV:<span>

Piper or Reyna, Reyna or Piper? I know this sounds completely juvenile, but that was the main thing on my mind right now. Not the fact I had recently lost any wisp of previous respect from the campers because of that intolerable Percy Jackson, not the fact Annabeth was laying unconsciousness and trapped by Gaea in the infirmary right now. No, I was freaking out over whom I would chose…. Piper or Reyna?

I mean, Piper is an amazing girl. She's breathtakingly beautiful, with those memorizing kaleidoscope eyes and soft chocolate brown hair. She's always putting others before herself. I'd love her to death if a certain little someone wasn't getting in the way… not that I cared all that much that she was ruining it.

Reyna; that five-letter word was the destruction and savior of my world. Reyna, with her painfully familiar features; deep and regal. Her dark hair and eyes to match made my insides turn to jelly and my brain melt, pouring right out of my ears. She walked with an air of importance, of leadership, and I loved that about her. The memories I had with her were real, unlike Piper's.

But then again, I had made new memories with Piper. All those nights at the camp fire, all those days under the shinning east coast sun, they were real. And every day I spent with her felt like a day in heaven. The grass had gotten greener every day, until we came to Camp Jupiter and it went back to its original dying brown. But I never let us got too close, because I knew that I had something with Reyna.

Well, officially, we were never anything, but I knew we would've if Hera wouldn't have abducted me. Speaking of Hera, let me just tell you now; I hate her. Yes, I know you'd expect me to be all "Hera is great!" and "almighty queen Hera" because she is my patron, but no. I'm not sure I'll ever forgive her for abducting me, erasing my memories and totally messing up my love life. Sometimes I find myself daydreaming about those times before Percy and I were switched.

Percy… gods, I hate that annoying son of Poseidon. Why did he get his memories back? Why did he have to have the perfect love life; Annabeth loved him and he loved her. Why did he get to be the hero? He needs a large dose of reality in my opinion. We've all had hard lives bud, get over it. But no, he had to be the one everyone looked up to; the one everyone respected. I don't even see why he's that good. Sure, he could sword fight. Sure, he apparently defeated Kronos (I defeated a Titan too, people!) But we've all faced death, all had problems. So why did he get special treatment? I mean, ever since he got his curse of Achilles back, he's either fighting or sleeping. Oh yeah, real heroic there, Perce.

But mostly, I was angry he had gotten his memories back before me. Did Hera like him more? No, that couldn't be it… uhg. I had to stop thinking like this. I would get my memories back….eventually. I hated not being able to remember why I loved Reyna so much, or why the mere mention of her name released a cage of angry butterflies in my stomach. I still remember that look on her face when she saw Percy and Annabeth's heartfelt greeting, and then she turned to me. I guess she wanted me to run up to her, spin her around and whisper "I never forgot you," in between kisses like Mr. Perfect over there had done. But sorry, I'm not Percy.

So I just stood there, more than a little confused as her hopeful expression crumbled. Her loud but beautiful features took on a more comfortable look—one of seriousness and work and hardships. It wasn't until now that I'd realized why she seemed so disappointed. But, what was I supposed to do with Piper there? Did she just expect me to… oh, wait, Reyna didn't know about Piper then. Our meeting was formal, a simple handshake followed by stiff "Hello's." Even then I could tell she wanted something more.

"Jason! Come quick, Annabeth and Piper are hurt!" Reyna shouted up to me since I was now floating a good 20 feet in the air. That tends to happen when I'm thinking (which isn't very often…)

"What? Is she okay—" I started, only really concerned about Piper.

"I don't know. Listen, I'll explain on the way, okay?" She asked as I landed beside her.

While we ran to the infirmary, Reyna filled me in. She told me how Percy had left to deal with Octavian (against his protests, might I add,) and when he came back Annabeth and Piper were lying unconscious in a pool of blood. She said most of it was Piper's, since they found a large cut across her back. I swallowed hard at this. _Was Piper going to be okay?_

But I couldn't help but notice how cute Reyna looked when she frowned. These two little dimples appeared right under her eye and—argh, curse you ADHD! Piper was hurt, probably dying right now, and all I could think about was how cute Reyna was?

We burst through the doors of the infirmary only to find a certain annoying black haired boy stroking a very pale blond girl's face. Percy looked terrible—he had bags under his eyes and worry lines were etched deeply into his face. I even noticed a streak of gray n his hair. Wait a minute; didn't Annabeth have the same one? I've heard of matching tattoo's, but never this.

"Hey, Percy, why do you and Annabeth have the same piece of gray in your hair?" I blurted out. Okay, I know, really bad timing, but hey, I was curious and I needed something to take my mind off Piper.

"What? Oh, um, actually, I don't remember. Another one of those missing memories. They suck, don't they?" he answered.

"Wait… I thought you had all your memories back?" Reyna asked, slightly confused.

"So did I. Then Annabeth started talking about all these things I didn't remember, and that's when we realized I didn't remember as much as I thought I did," Percy finished, turning back to Annabeth. "Piper's over there," he added.

I sighed and speed walked in the direction he had pointed. When I arrived, I saw a small little girl lying in a bed. She looked even smaller in the big whit bed surrounding her pale figure.

"Piper?" I whispered, taking her small hand.

When we touched, I felt a stream of memories course through my veins. Now instead of blood, my heart was pumping the lost moments and old wishes through my body. I remembered the day I came to Camp Jupiter, the day I met Reyna, the day I became praetor… it all came back.

My knees buckled slightly under me, but Reyna managed to catch me. I was shocked by how cold her touch suddenly was. Yesterday, Reyna's skin on mine resembled something like a fireworks show; but today… nothing.

That's when I realized something. I saw how I loved Piper, not Reyna.. My relationship with her was little more than lust. But Piper… it didn't matter we only had six short months of memories… because we'd make more.


	12. Chapter 12

**12. Insanity**

**A/N: I am REALLY sorry for not updating! Get ready for my long list of excuses: One, I'm training for a 5-K in June so I've been running after school every day. Two: I have two Piano recitals in May and I haven't memorized any of my songs and a viola concert in May. Three: I am currently reading 12 books, 6 of them over 300 pages and the other 6 pretty close. Four: I am currently writing ANOTHER story, for **_PerseusSlayerOfMedusa_**'s challenge. Anyway, I hope this is better :)**

**Oh yeah, and please check out my 1****st**** chapter. I have a new and better version up. Thanks!**

**This is dedicated to **_ireadeverythang64 _**because they gave me the idea. I thank every one of my amazing reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: I didn't own PJO the last time I uploaded, why would you think I own it now?**

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><p><em><span>Leo's POV:<span>_

Screams and the sound of fear pierced the air and into my little eight year old world. The fire was growing threateningly as smoke curled itself around my body and invaded my nostrils. I was not afraid, but I still shook. I tried to scream, but I felt like I was in one of those dreams where you have no voice. So I watched instead as the sight of my mother dying left an ugly black stain on my heart.

And then I did something I rarely did, even as an eight year old— I sat down and cried. I cried a thousand tears for every moment we'd never get to have together. With every beat of my heart, another wave of guilt and sadness was pumped through my veins. Before I could stop it, the flames started to increase. And within seconds my whole life had gone up in flames.

I knew I couldn't stay there. The air was still heavy with the memory of my mother. So I wiped my dirt-streaked face clean of tears and started to run. I didn't know where I was going or how I'd get there. All I could register was the _one-two_ sound of my feet slapping the road and the scent of smoke that lingered on my clothes.

A few hours passed before I reached the nearest house. My mother and I had lived pretty far away from everyone else in town, so no one even knew about the fire yet. No one knew my life was over.

I can still remember the feeling of guilt I had to carry—I still carry it today. It felt similar to a 2T brick resting on my chest. My fragile body nearly collapsed from the pressure of it all. It was my fault, and I knew it.

My blackened feet carried up three steps and I fell down against the door. It opened to reveal a beautiful woman, maybe 25. I couldn't really tell much about her since my vision was fading, but I still remember one thing.

The woman had said, "It's gonna be okay, baby." I wanted to believe her so badly.

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I later learned the woman's name was Lilly. It suited her, she was a beauty. She took me in for a while and tried to call my relatives, but none would take me in. I couldn't help but wonder why. _Did they know what I did? Did they know I killed mom?_

Every day I had to her was a symphony—strong and unlike any other. But after only six months, Lilly said I had to leave. She told me I didn't do anything wrong, it was just that I needed a more permanent home. I was sad to leave, Angie had been a great mom… but she was never as good as my mama.

On the day I left I cried a lot. I did that more often now, like ever since my mom died a piece of me went up in flames with her. It just didn't seem fair. That day the sun was shining too bright and the taste of flowers in the wind was too sweet. It was sickly perfect. But I had to leave, so I did. Angie kissed my forehead and told me to call if I ever needed anything. I had no intention of calling.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo Normal page breaks are boring..again XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

The next 6 years were more or less the same. I'd go to a new foster home, receive the same useless sympathy, cause problems, and run away. Again and again and again; I had the routine down like brushing my teeth in the morning. Trouble seemed to follow me like a faithful dog—never leaving and always too close.

But eventually I was sent to this Wilderness school, and I met a very pretty girl. Her name was Piper; Piper McLean. Piper sort of took me under her wing, making sure I didn't run away again. I was grateful for that. I hadn't had someone who actually cared about me since Angie, and that was over 6 years ago.

Then Jason came, and we learned we were demigods. That was….. A bit unexpected. I mean, how would you handle it if a depressed blond teen told you were the son of some supposedly fake Greek god? Yeah… that's what I thought, totally insane. I still felt bad for Annabeth, and at first I thought she hated me, but Chiron told me it was because I reminded her of Percy. It wasn't fair Percy had to disappear. I could tell how much she needed him, even if she wouldn't admit it. Annabeth was probably the only one whose life was worse than mine.

Then we went on that quest, and some old memories started to float back to the surface. _Gaea_….. She was the one who provoked me to start that fire. She was the one who ruined my life, not me. And that's why I had to defeat her.

Okay, I'll admit I was a little jealous of Jason and Piper at first. Their lives seemed so….. Perfect. Piper, so beautiful was with Jason, the born hero. Together they were unstoppable. They didn't really need me, Leo, the annoying 3rd wheel. I had these weird fire-powers. I was useless. I was going to hurt them if I stayed…

But Jason and Piper didn't seem to want to let me go. They insisted they cared, that I was more than a third wheel. I wanted to believe it so bad, and eventually, I found I did. So we continued on our quest and eventually saved Hera, becoming the hero's and returning to camp like one. I was starting to understand that maybe my power over fire was more than a curse. Maybe, just maybe, it was a kind of ugly gift; bittersweet, like lemonade.

When we got back, I found Bunker 9 and I was proud of myself. Finally, I was starting to be something useful. Jason was slowly regaining his memories and Annabeth was slowly breaking down. People tried to stay away from the two altogether; they were just so moody and unpredictable. We couldn't blame them, though. Jason was going through something none of us had experience in. Annabeth's boyfriend probably didn't even remember her, if he was even alive or not being tortured by the Romans. Jason always said they wouldn't do that, but I could see a small flicker of doubt in his eyes.

The _Argo II_ was slowly but surely coming along. There were a few mishaps, but eventually we got it together. Sailing it was the hard part. Jason and I took turns and Annabeth promised Percy would be able to help on the sea.

The day we landed everyone was a nervous wreck. I tried to stay calm by cracking jokes, but they only seemed to irritate everyone more. Annabeth didn't talk to anyone but Thalia, and that was only when it was crucial information. We were worried what would happen if Percy _didn't_ remember. I had a feeling I'd like this Percy guy. He seemed fun and easy-going, like me.

When we did land, they guy I assumed was Percy ran up first. He started at Annabeth for a while before he sprinted to her and hugged her like there was no tomorrow. When they pulled apart she kissed him like nobody was watching, and to them I bet there wasn't.

Jason, on the other hand, was having some girl problems of his own. He just couldn't seem to decide between Reyna and Jason. I told him to go with Piper because I sort of like this Reyna girl myself. She was tall, beautiful, mature, and totally out of my league—my kind of girl. Reyna didn't seem to be too fond of me, though. Once she tried to burn me. That turned out _so_ well.

There is this one other girl, Hazel. She looks at me like I'm her long lost brother. I don't know why, but her name sound familiar, like I heard it in another life. Frank, her boyfriend, didn't quite like all the attention she was giving me, either. (It's not like I minded, though.)

Everything was starting to become too much. When the stars and the suns were asleep, my past came back to haunt me through the shadows. Then I had the whole Gaea problem. People expected me to be some hero, but I wasn't. On top of that, Hazel was really starting to creep me out now. She started stalking me, almost and it looked like everyone knew why but no one would spill.

Let's just say my life was totally insane. I just don't know if was good or bad yet.


	13. Chapter 13

**13. Misfortune**

**A/N: Hola, my name is **_**Mi nombre**_**! (Yeah, I wish.) I honestly have no excuse this time other than the ones in the last chapter about not updating. Well, except for getting my computer taken away (it was over something really stupid, though) and that I'm completely obsessed with the Maximum Ride series right now. Say something in your comment (please comment!) if you can relate to that. Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to **_PercabethAndZebrasFTW_** for the idea!**

** P.S. I will apologize in advance for the extreme OCC-ness of Poseidon in this chapter. Sorry, but you'll have to deal with my terrible IC skills. I'm also sorry about the utter terrible writing in this chapter. I just wanted to get one up.**

**Disclaimer: I didn't own PJO the last time I updated, why would you think I own it now?**

Sally's POV:

_Sixteen years ago:_

"Congratulations," the nurse smiled, handing me a newborn baby; _my_ newborn baby. "It's a boy."

I glance down at the small child resting happily in my arms but find I am unable to look away. Tears flood my eyes and stream down my face like a faucet. This little bundle of life was my responsibility. Suddenly a fear that had been submerged for the past 9 months bubbled to the surface. I was responsible for a _child_; me,all by myself. I choked a little at the though. Of course, I didn't expect Poseidon to help me. He _was_ a god.

Oh yeah, did I mention that? Yep… This little boy's father was the ancient Greek god of the sea. Now, I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. The gods were not just myths, and are most certainly alive and well today. I of all people should know.

"What do you want to name him?" The nurse asks. I ponder it for a second, waiting for the perfect name to crawl into my thoughts. I'll be honest; I hadn't given much thought to it. I figured the name would come when I saw him, and sure enough, it did.

"Perseus. Perseus Aaron Jackson," I answer with the slight not of my head. But then it occurred to me that was a little long…..

"Percy," I whispered, looking down at the small bundle wrapped in blue. His name was perfect. Perseus was one of the only great Greek hero's who had a happy ending. Poseidon had said Percy is destined for great things…. Maybe it'll turn out okay for him, too. I don't know what I'd do if it didn't. I had only known this person for a few second, and I already felt an overwhelming urge to protect him with all my life.

The brunet nurse smiled a small smile and left me alone. I had no family, so I figured no one would come to visit me. That's why I was so surprised when he came.

"Sally," Poseidon stole a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Poseidon," I gasped, "what are you doing here? I thought you said you couldn't stay!"

"I can't, but I wanted to come back. At least once," he replied. His sea-green eyes never left Percy once. As I looked between the two of them, I realized how similar in looks the two were. The same black hair; the same nose, face…..

Just at that moment Percy opened his eyes. They weren't my cobalt blue, but Poseidon's oceans. We both stood there, immersed in our son's personal seas.

"He looks like you," I noted. Poseidon nodded and said,

"Sally, as I have told you, this child will do great things. Even this young his aura is strong. You must do everything you can to protect him. I know you don't want him to go to camp, but—"

I cut him off with, "He is _not_ going to camp. He's my son, and I'm taking care of him, no matter how hard it'll be." I don't think I've said anything more true in my life.

Poseidon nodded, kissed me once more and smiled down at Percy. With a sad look on his handsome face, he left me alone…. Again.

_Ten Years Ago:_

Percy was six now, and he resembled his father more than ever. Percy had the same memorizing sea-green eyes, wind-blown black hair, and that trademark smirk. He often asked about Poseidon, and I tried to tell him his father was stranded at sea. I don't think he believed me though.

Today was August 18th, also known as the second most important day of the year, before my birthday, to Percy.

"Mommy!" He cried, racing down the hallway and into my lap. "Guess what today is!" He said in a cheery sing-song voice.

"Hmm…. Saturday?" I asked, playing along.

"No! Guess ag-aaaain!"

"Oh! Is it… your birthday?" I asked, tickling him.

"Hahaha… yes! Hahaha…. Mommy, stop it!" Percy protested wriggling out of my reach and running around our small apartment. He was getting kind of loud— especially with that high pitched little boy voice all 6 year olds had— and I was getting kind of worried. Gabe might hear him and wake up…. And it was Percy's birthday. I didn't want Gabe to ruin it.

Gabe was the most revolting, disgusting, and sickening person I have ever met. The only reason I agreed to even talk to him was because three years ago Percy was attacked by a monster, which made me realize his scent was too strong. And Gabe… well, his natural BO actually _covers_ it. Really, it's that bad. When Gabe gets mad, he can be a little… violent. I don't think Percy figured that part out yet, which I'm grateful for. My kid can be pretty scary, even for a six year old.

"Shh… Percy, please be quiet honey," I pleaded quietly, catching up to him and wrapping my arms around him.

"Oh-kay mom," he whispered very dramatically.

Suddenly, I got an idea. "Hey, why don't you go get your bathing suit and we'll go to Montauk, okay?"

I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at the expression on his face. It went from bored to ecstatic in a matter of milliseconds. I was reminded of those face changing masks you see in Opera. He didn't even have to answer, he ran to his room and back so fast I barely realized he's left.

"Let's go, mommy!" he cheered racing out the door. I followed, smiling to myself. I could get used to this.

Of course, my moment in Paradise was short lived. Right then two things happened at once. First Gabe came running out of our room and grabbed my arm tightly, spewing curses and alcohol. Then a very scary-looking hellhound came pounding into our apartment, with Percy in its mouth like a rag doll.

"Gabe! Let go!" I yelled, trying desperately to reach Percy.

Gabe squeezed tighter, making me cry out in pain. He let me go, but before I was completely out of reach he grabbed me roughly around the wait and pulled me in so I was within kissing distance. _ Please don't, please, oh gods no—_but he did. Gabe pressed his rotten lips against mine—hard. But it wasn't a sweet, loving, or romantic kiss. It was a kiss constructed out of lust and greed. Finally Gabe let me go, but not before slapping me across the face with so much force I stumbled. _So much for Percy not knowing,_ I thought.

_Percy._ That thought made we turn around quicker than if someone had shouted, _"Hey, I can make Gabe leave you along and make sure you and your son and safe forever!"_ Although when my eyes landed on the rabies-ridden monster and my son, it was not the scene I had expected.

The hellhound (I only knew what it was called because Poseidon had pointed one out to me before) was lying dead on the ground, slowly turning into what looked like pixie-dust. Percy stood over it, butter knife in hand, grinning wildly. It sent a chill down my spine to see my baby like that, and in one wave of grief I knew he'd have to go to Camp Half Blood some day.

"Mommy," Percy's smile faltered, "Why isn't doggie getting up?"

Oh, oh my gods. He hadn't even realized he killed it.

"Doggie's tired, sweetie. He's taking a nap."

"Oh… okay." Percy looked around and grabbed a tattered pillow from the floor. He lifted up the monster's head and shoved the pillow underneath it. Then he petted the thing for good measure and whispered, "Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."

Percy smiled down at it and looked up at me. It seemed like he just noticed that Gabe was in the room, and that he had hit me. Percy's little face swelled up in anger and he balled his fists. The next thing he did made me proud and terrified at the same time—he charged Gabe.

"Percy!" I screamed, but it was already too late. Gabe had swatted his massive, sweaty hand and hit him in the chest, sending him flying backwards. But being Percy, he waited till Gabe had his back turned and charged again. This time he managed to get a well placed kick in the… well, I think you can infer about where my son managed to kick Gabe.

"Yow!" Gabe cried out in pain and fell to the floor, clutching the area right below his bear gut.

Taking the opportunity, I grabbed Percy and the keys and ran out the door. I would try to enjoy the day while I could. But honestly, I was scared of what Gabe would do tonight. Last time I stood up to him, he gave me a black eye. Life was definitely _not_ good right now.

_Two years ago: _**(A/N: This is at the end of BOTL, but before TLO, okay? Sorry I forgot how many years before SoN this would be.)**

"Hey, Mom, can you pass the butter?" my son, Percy asked one night at dinner. He was 15 now, and it hurt to see him growing up so fast.

"Sure, honey," I handed him the butter. He smiled a thank-you at me.

Paul was with us at dinner tonight. We had planned on telling him Percy was a demigod a while ago, but every time he and Percy got in the same room together Percy was called away by camp because of some monster attack or something. Don't tell Percy this, but half the time I think he just makes it up so he can IM Annabeth.

Anyway, right about now the most awkward silence in the history of the world was taking place right here in my kitchen. Paul was absentmindedly stabbing at his steak (yes, I went all out and cooked a fancy-smachy dinner for my fiancé,) and Percy was gnawing on buttered roll.

"So..." I began, trying desperately to break the glacier sized ice.

"So," Percy echoed. I tossed him a look that clearly said, _"If-you-don't-tell-Paul-right-now-I'm-going-to-tell-Annabeth-your-baby-stories-again."_ Yeah… about that… you see, last time Annabeth was over she found a photo album of Percy as a baby. One picture was of him sitting in mud, and she asked what that was about. So I told her the gods honest truth.

When Percy was two we went to Central Park. I guess he must have seen some woman taking a mud-bath on TV, because the moment he saw a puddle he deemed acceptable he stripped down to nothing and sat in it like it was a bath. Annabeth sure did get a kick out of that one. Percy, on the other hand… didn't seem to find it as amusing. I didn't think a face could turn that shade of red.

It seemed Percy got my mental-mom-message, because right then he cleared his throat and sat up a little higher in his seat.

'So, Paul," he started, nervously fingering his pen/sword thing in his pocket. Annabeth said he did that when he was nervous. Paul paused trying to murder his steak with his fork and listened to what Percy had to say.

"I'm not really sure how to put this, but…" he looked around the room, but I knew he was just stalling. Finally he sighed and gave in. "Have you ever heard of Greek mythology?"

"Yes, Percy. I think everybody has," Paul nodded, slightly amused.

"Okay then. Well, you know when back in the old days the gods used to have kids with mortals? And they were demigods?"

"Yeah… like Jason, right?" Paul confirmed.

Percy nodded just as Paul said, "Wait… where is this going?"

"Paul… _I'm_ a demigod," Percy and I cringed at how completely ridiculous that sounded. Maybe we _should_ have had Annabeth do this…

My regrets about declining Annabeth's offer grew even stronger when Paul busted-out laughing.

"Sally, your kid's got a very active imagination," he gasped between laughs.

"Paul, he's telling the truth," I stated. Immediately Paul's laughing ceased and was replaced by an extremely confused look.

"Wait… you actually believe him?" Paul looked stunned.

I nodded and motioned for Percy to go on.

"My father's Poseidon. Here, watch this." Percy raised his hand, making the water in all our cups come together in one big ball above the table. Then he made a little swishing motion and the water morphed from a blob to the form of a trident.

"Wha… you're… _what?"_ Paul's voice was so confused it was laughable.

"Yep, and supposedly I'm supposed to save the world, too. You should be grateful for having the honor to meet the heroic Percy Jackson," Percy gloated _very_ sarcastically.

I gave him a look that clearly said his fate was not in any way, shape or form a laughing matter. He nodded a little sadly, like he knew something I didn't.

Paul's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. I bit my lip, trying for about the millionth time to keep myself from laughing.

"Okay, let me get this straight. You're a son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. That special camp you always go to… CHB…. Camp Half Blood?" Paul guessed.

Wow. Paul was a good guesser.

Percy nodded like he was talking to a two year old.

"Okay," Paul agreed, "I can totally work with this."

I prayed to the gods that was true.

_Three months ago:_

I heard three light knocks on my apartment door. Then came a "Mrs. Jackson?" from a voice I knew very well. I was a little worried though, her voice sounded small and clogged, like she had been crying lately.

I opened my blue door to find Annabeth Chase, my son, Percy Jackson's girlfriend and best friend. The words, _"she looked really bad,"_ didn't even touch how rough she looked. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, and her hair was up in one ratty knot on the back of her head. Her clothes were blood-stained. Half her face was obscured with purple from evident lack of sleep. I gulped, hard. This girl was pretty tough. It took a lot to break her like this.

"Mrs. Jackson… I'm sorry. I'm so…. So… sorry," Annabeth's voice cracked as she flung herself at me, crying enough to fill up oceans.

"Sorry for what? You didn't do anything, dear," I comforted her, rubbing her back in what I hoped was a soothing way. She didn't answer me because she was crying too hard, so I walked her in my apartment. She fell down on the couch and curled up into a ball. Annabeth looked so weak, so _pathetic_, even. The form curled up in front of me was so un-Annabeth, I knew this was bad.

"Percy. He's… he's missing," she choked.

Yep, that's definitely bad.

My blood froze as an icy chill ran down my back. _Percy was missing?_ Oh gods, no…. no, no. This could not be happening… But one look at the shattered girl across from me made me realize that no matter how much I wanted it to be a cruel, sick joke, it wasn't.

I didn't even realize I was crying until Annabeth got up and wiped her arms around me. It was weird, having a sixteen year old girl comforting me. We just sat there, me crying and Annabeth trying her best not to. This girl seriously amazed me.

"Mrs. Jackson… shh, it's okay. We'll find him. We… we have to. I'll find him, I promise," she whispered.

I finally composed myself to remove my wet hands from my tear-streaked face. I could feel my mascara running like ashes being washed away down my face. My eyes met Annabeth's, and I saw how sad she really was. Her intimidating gray orbs were muted and cloudy; the beautiful gray tone was drowned in her unshed tears.

"How long has he been gone?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Seven days," she replied, "And I haven't stopped looking. I even got a vision from Hera… sort of. But she did say he was okay, for now at least."

"Annabeth, I know this is hard on you. Gods know it's hard on me, but I don't want you driving yourself mad searching. You already look sick, and it's only been a week. Hera said he was okay. Don't..." I paused, knowing she'd never listen to this. She'd probably heard the whole "don't worry, we'll find him," lecture about a million times already.

"No, I know you'll worry. You probably won't be able to sleep for a while. But that's okay, because right now, life pretty much sucks and there's nothing we can do about it. We'll keep looking, and pray he comes back. But Annabeth," I looked her in the eye, making sure she heard me, "I do _not_ want you to go crazy over this. It's not worth it. Honestly, you look terrible. Annabeth… when _was_ the last time you slept?"

She mumbled something I couldn't hear. Uh-oh, that couldn't be what I was hoping for.

"What was that," I asked.

"Five days," she murmured.

"Annabeth!" I scolded. "Promise me you'll sleep tonight, okay?"

"Uh…"

"Promise!"

"Fine, I promise I'll sleep tonight," she gave in.

I sighed. Hopefully Annabeth and I would make it through this okay. I hoped Percy was safe, wherever he was. Even though I was pretty confident he wasn't in any immediate danger, I had this creeping feeling that told me that wouldn't last long. It whispered tales of destruction and terrible apocalypses, of fables of a world where no one was safe.

I feared that voice was right.


	14. Chapter 14

**14. Smile**

**A/N:**** Uh… sorry, no weird foreign language thing today. But guess what? I have a present for you! Just keep reading to find out… okay, here it is: DID YOU PEOPLE SEE THE 1ST CHAPTER OF MOA IS OUT! The link is on my profile (don't worry, it's at the top). I just wanted to let you guys know that. Oh, and guess what? I have strep throat! Yippee! On the bright side, I can't go to school today so that means more time for me to write! Oh, and I apologize in advance for the extreme suckieness of this chapter. I loved the idea, but my writing her is truly pathetic.**

**Dedication:**

**Dedication goes to: **_ireadeverythang6, _**and **_PercabethAndZebrasFTW_** . **_ireadeverythang64_** for the idea and **_PercabethAndZebrasFTW_** for the amazing review. Thank you all for reviewing and reading! I also want to say to anon that I honestly had no clue how long you could survive without sleep. Sorry I messed that up.**

**Question of the Day:**

**Has anyone read the Maximum Ride series? I am SO OBSESSED with them! I read the first two in two days, and I have 100 pages left of the 3****rd**** book and I have only had it for one day :) They are so flipping good! If you haven't read them, I highly recommend doing so. But make sure that you don't have to read another book for school or something, because trust me… you won't be able to put these books down (I am talking from experience.)**

**Disclaimer: YES! I OWN PERCY JACKSON! *awkward silence* Okay… well no, I don't. But hey, a girl can dream, can't she?**

_Percy's POV:_

The corners of her soft, luscious lips jerked upward for a fraction of a second. It took everything I had not to walk over there and kiss her. But I would not give her the satisfaction of knowing she was getting to me. I was going to win this thing. We had being going at this for the past hour. You see, Annabeth and I were having a no-smiling contest. Don't ask me why.

We were standing in the dining pavilion, circling each other like fighters in a UFC match. Demigods of all ages circled us. From the corner of my eye I saw flashing drachmas being passed between various campers and the Stoll brothers… of course.

"You're laughing," I pointed out.

"Am not," she huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

"Fine, Annabeth. I didn't want to have to do this, but…"

I ripped off my shirt and pants, revealing a pair of bright pink heart underwear. With sparkles. The Aphrodite guys had been _ever_ so kind enough as to lone them to me before our little game began. I don't even want to know how those guys got possession of these.

Things were getting pretty desperate because doing this was supposed to be, like… plan –Z. Never to be used. I just didn't expect Annabeth to be so hard to crack. So I climbed up on the nearest table and started singing—well, more like screeching—my and Leo's favorite song. I clapped my hands and swayed my hips dramatically to the beat as I sang acapella.

"When I walk in the spot, this is what I see. Everybody stop and starin' at me! I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it, show it, show it," I paused here for dramatic effect, "I'M SEXY AND I KNOW IT!"

Here I jumped off the table and began running around the circumference (yes, I know, fancy word here. Annabeth would be so proud,) of the circle, high-fiving the laughing campers. About half way around the underwear actually started coming _down_. Before anyone could realize, though, I hoisted them back into a comfortable position. That was _way_ too close.

By the time I made my way back to Annabeth, I could tell she was trying hard not to laugh. Somehow she managed to strangle those urges to bust-out laughing and kept a straight face.

"My turn," she announced.

At first I thought she meant _she_ was going to strip down to her underwear and start singing I'm sexy and I know it while running around the circle of campers enclosing us. After a few seconds of being totally mortally horrified, I realized that couldn't be it. I mean, she had to be wearing a bra, too… right?

"Percy, your pecks are all flabby," she noted. She earned a few snickers from the crowd.

"I know you are but what am I?" I taunted. Okay, really lame. I know.

"Wow, what are you, three? _Doews Percy miss his wittle Fwinding Nemo blankie?" _Annabeth bribed.

The whole camp roared with laughter, partly from Annabeth's remark and how hard I was blushing.

"Hey! You promised you wouldn't tell anyone about that!" I whisper-shouted. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure it was loud enough for most of the camp to hear.

"Sorry Percy, but all's fair in love and war," she smirked, making sure it wasn't a smile.

"Oh, so you won't mind me doing this?" I walked up to her and kissed her passionately. The campers responded with loud cat-calls and wolf-whistles. When we pulled away I kept her pressed up against me, even though we were both blushing. Hard.

"No matter what nectar tastes like," I paused and kissed her again, accenting my next words, "It'll never compare to your lips, baby."

When I look back on this, I'm disgusted at how cliché that was.

"Nice try, Seaweedbrain," Annabeth replied, her mouth straighter than a ruler. "But you're not getting me to smile."

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o-Normal linebreaks are boring-o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O**

Basically, the rest of the day went on pretty much like that. Once I even stooped so low as to tell Annabeth a blond joke. Big Mistake. I woke up tied to a Pegasus flying really, _really_ high. I made a silent vow to get her for that one.

Eventually the time for our annual campfire rolled around, dragging bloody and exhausted demigods in with it. We poured into the Amphitheater. Today had been exceptionally hot, especially for Ney York in September. It was like Zeus had cranked up his giant all-knowing thermometer up on Olympus.

From across the campfire I spotted Annabeth and had an idea. My feet carried me over to her, and when I was within arm's length I put my hands over her eyes and whispered in an extremely low voice— "Guess who?"

She whipped out her knife and spun around faster than you could say "I'm so dead." When she realized it was me, she removed her knife from my throat. But instead of strapping it back to her thigh, she angled it so the shiny blade was resting directly on top of my Achilles spot.

"Darn it," I whispered, trying hard not to smile.

"Follow me."

"What are you… oh, all right," Annabeth gave in, allowing me to lead her away from the throng of demigods slowly becoming high on s'mores. Between the meetings and repairs on the ship, we barely had any time together since she came to Camp Jupiter on the _Argo II_.

After a few minutes of trailing wordlessly through the woods, I caught sight of an unnatural glimmer on the forest floor a few feet ahead. As I got closer, I confirmed it was our spot. It looked even more beautifully romantic bathed in moonlight.

I stole a glance at Annabeth, making my breath hitch in my throat. Her blond locks shined and her gorgeous gray eyes twinkled like the stars in the New York City sky.

Okay, I was seriously starting to sound like a child of Aphrodite.

Annabeth sat down on a log by the water's edge and I followed. We just stared into each other's eyes for the good portion of 10 minuets—gray meeting green and green gazing right back. Slowly, I leaned forward. She met me in the middle and that night we shared one of our best kisses yet; sweet, gentle and slow.

After what might have been anywhere from a millisecond to a million years we broke apart—time didn't seem to exist when we were kissing. Every time we touched it erased everything else. Forget therapy; her kiss was the best kind of medicine.

Our breaths matched—coming out in short, greedy gasps. I took hold of her hand and murmured so even if someone were watching, only she would hear.

"I really miss your smile," I admitted.

She pressed her other hand on my Achilles heel, causing shivers to run up my spine.

"I know."

This time, I couldn't help it. A smile the size of the Titanic painted itself across my face, stretching from ear to ear. It was amazing how I could to endure all her jokes and teasing, but just one soft touch could brake me.

"I win," she whispered, leaning in for another kiss.

"Don't you always?" I murmured against her lips.


	15. Chapter 15

**15. Silence**

**A/N: Ciao di nuovo i miei meravigliosa piccolo llamas! (Go put that into Google Translate. The voice is hilarious!) Anyway, here is another update from me. Hurray for being sick! Oh, and dedication to whoever knows what part of Maximum Ride I got this idea from. (I just finished book 3)**

**Hint: Colorado. Cabin. Fang and Max.**

**Dedication:**

**Dedication goes to: Everybody who's ever reviewed! Man, I love you guys so much! Also, welcome **_PercyplusAnnabeth_ **! (I haven't seen a review from you before, so I guess you're new to this story-thingy) Thank you all sooo much! You make me being sick (still) enjoyable…. sorta. Well, you make it better :)**

**Question of the Day:**

**PLEASE READ THIS ONE!**

**Uh, this is probably going to sound stupid but I'm really insecure so here it goes. Do you guys think I'm a good writer? I mean, if I were to write my own book, would you read it? Remember I am only in 6****th**** grade. But please tell me the truth; I can handle it if you say I totally suck. But please tell me **_**why**_** I suck or **_**why**_** you like me, so I can get better :) Oh, and someone OTHER than **_PercabethAndZebrasFTW _**answer this because he/she answers, like, everything. Thanks everybody!**

_**Please Review! CC and Flames are accepted!**_

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked I was 12, a girl, and did not live in Texas. So no, I am most likely not Rick Riordan.**

Annabeth's POV:

Raindrops fell like tears outside my miniscule apartment window. The perfect Saturday was ruined by the sky's sudden urge to flood the city. It was raining so hard, half the streets were closed. In New York. Now you don't see that every day. And to make the experience _so_ much better, the most annoying, stupid, insensitive person in the world was here. Yep, you guessed it; Percy Jackson.

He was such an _idiot._ We had gotten in a fight about… actually, I don't even know why we were fighting anymore. Our argument turned into meaningless insults and frustrated shouting a while ago. My heart ached seeing him so mad, and knowing I was the culprit didn't exactly help. But I could sense something else behind his mask of animosity…. something like worry. It was almost as if he were scared.

"Uhg, why do you have to be so freaking stubborn!" Percy shouted.

"_Me_ being stubborn? Why do you have to such an idiot?" I countered. "I don't even know why I'm with you! You always have to be the hero, always have to be the one to save the day! Maybe I should've let Luke live!"

Whoa. Where did that come from?

The angry façade on Percy's face dissolved like cardboard in the rain at my words. He took a deep, shuddering breath before continuing.

"Choose, now. Him or me?" he demanded.

"What?" I asked.

"Luke or me," Percy sounded so… wounded. Like a lost puppy in the rain. But his face was impassive. I knew him; he wouldn't let anyone, let alone _me_ see him hurting.

"Percy…" I walked up to him, lowering my voice so it was barely a whisper. It was all I could do to keep the tears from spilling over.

"I didn't mean that. I… I love you both. Just in different ways. Please don't make me chose," I pleaded. Then in an even softer voice I added, "Not again."

Silence as thick as smoke filled the air, making it unable to breath. I could practically taste the tension dripping off our words.

"If you really didn't mean what you said you would've chosen by now," he said, his voice harder than stone. I detected a misty outline in those seductive sea-green eyes of his, making me realize how much this was hurting him.

"I… I'm going for a walk," he decided, grabbing his jacket and heading towards the door.

I tried to protest, tried to say _something,_ do _anything _that would me effective, but all that I could muster up was "But it's raining."

Percy didn't even acknowledge it. So there I stood, rooted in my spot, watching him close the door a little too hard for normal. The moment his black wind-blown hair disappeared from my sight, I sat down on the carpeted floor; hard. That painful silence was back again, only ten times louder. The emptiness of it all rung loud and clear in my ears.

I brought my knees up to my chest and hugged them so close I thought my ribs would break. Everything seemed to turn an ugly shade of gray knowing that he had just walked out of my life… maybe forever. My heart beat slowed, my vision slackened, and all I could was pray he'd come back.

_He'll come back, _I thought._ He always comes back._ Only this time I wasn't so sure.

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o-Normal linebreaks are boring-o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O**

"Annabeth….. Annabeth, wake up," A male voice broke through my dreams. I knew this voice…. Why couldn't I remember its owner? _Hmm…._ I thought. _Think Annabeth, think. _And suddenly it all came rushing back as if a dam had just broken in my memories. Last night, our fight, Percy walking out… everything.

"Percy," I mumbled groggily. What was he doing here?

"Annabeth, wake up," he repeated, concern flooding in his voice.

I tried opened my eyes. The brightness of the daytime scorched them, making me blink several times to adjust to the light. I looked around and was surprised that I was still sitting on the floor of my living room. I must have fallen asleep last night waiting for him.

"I… I'm sorry," Percy apologized, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. I noticed his shoulder was wet. _That's weird, _I thought._ Percy doesn't get wet unless he wants to. _That's when I realized I was crying. My hand quickly found the tears leaking down my face and wiped them away, but not before Percy noticed. His face took on an expression of understanding and his voice became softer.

"It's okay if you love him more than me. I get that. I just want you to know that I was wrong, and that I'm sorry. I was being stupid last night; I shouldn't have walked out on you like that. I'm just so worried about the new prophecy, about the Mark… about you," Percy rambled. **(A/N: yes, by "Mark" I'm talking about the Mark of Athena.)**

I just stared at him in disbelief. He was_ sorry?_ Sorry for what? For worrying about me? I was the one who basically said I wanted him _dead._

"_You're_ sorry? I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that. Of course I'd choose you, Percy! I… it's just really hard sometimes. I didn't know you were worried about me," I admitted, burying my face in his chest. I took a deep, shaky breath. The scent of the sea that lingered on his skin always calmed me down.

"Are you okay now?" he whispered.

I nodded slowly, painfully aware of the immense amount of guilt swelling in my already tight chest. I had somehow managed to get an amazing guy like this to love me, and I treated him like dirt just because he was worried about me? Gods, what was wrong with me? I mean, I just got him back from the Roman camp. Why was I fighting with him?

After a few minutes of just holding each other, not saying a word, that 10-ton brick that had been laying on me seemed to disappear. I knew deep down that Percy knew the only reason I'd been acting like this was because of how stressed I'd been lately.

"I love you," I breathed.

He looked down at me, sympathy filling his warm, sea-green eyes.

"I love you too," he said with a kiss.

That night I learned sometimes silence is a good thing.


	16. Chapter 16

**16. Questioning**

**A/N: Hallo! ( It's "Hello" in German.) I want to thank all of you who reviewed saying I was a good author. I'm very critical about my work and sometimes I just need someone to hold my hand :) I apologize for my procrastination on this chapter; I was having a small case of writers block. But then I got out my trust iPod and "POOF!" INSPIRATION!**

**And if there was a law on how much fluff you could put in a story, I would've broken it ten times over just from this one :)**

**P.S. I was listening to the song "I can barely say" by The Fray while I wrote this. LOVE that band!**

**Dedication:**

**Dedication goes to: **_bookworm909_ **and **_ThAtOtHeRpSyCoPaTh_** for getting it correct! The last chapter was based off a scene in book 3 of MR where Fang and Max have a fight about Ari. And yes, **_ThAtOtHeRpSyCoPaTh__, _** I did want to punch Fang in the face there. And maybe somewhere a little lower, to teach him a lesson… Hahaha, jk :)**

**Question of the Day:**

**Me and my two friends (let's call them Cass and Max-Earnest… dedication to whoever gets where that's from =]) were having an argument over which is better: Green, purple or blue llamas with sparkly teeth. I said the blue llamas; Cass said green and Max-Earnest said purple. VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE COLORED LLAMA!**

_**Please Review! CC and Flames are accepted!**_

**Disclaimer: If you're stupid enough to think I own PJO or HoO, you need to be sent back to pre-school. Seriously.**

"_If I can find my way home, will you take hold of me?"—_**I can barely say****, The Fray**

* * *

><p><span>Annabeth's POV:<span>

"Do… do I know you?" Percy asked; confusion splattered on his face.

At those four simple words, my world shattered into a million and one pieces. Every single broken shard of the world I once knew pierced my heart, killing me from the inside out. The legions of fears that have been haunting me multiplied by a million and attacked at once, forcing tears to swirl violently behind my eyes. But no, I would not cry. Not in front of all these Romans. I would be strong… I had to be.

"Yeah, we were… f-f-friends," I choked out. I was momentarily grateful for the strong California breeze; it stung my eyes and helped dried the tears before they fell.

My throat burned and my chest was so tight I was afraid my lungs would cave in on themselves. Here he was, the boy I had fallen in… in love with (yes, I was in _love_ with him. I knew that with all my heart, mind, and soul now) and he didn't even remember my name.

"Wait… you're Annabeth, right?"

I nodded slowly, hopping for more. For a fraction of a second I saw a flicker of recognition pass across his face, but it was just a flicker. A small spark in the darkness, not quite enough to light the fire of remembrance yet. But if Percy could just remember one time we kissed, just one small memory…

"I…" he stuttered. Suddenly his face became deathly pale and he stumbled backwards. The long purple toga he was wearing didn't help. Two Roman demigods—I think their names were Hazel and Frank—rushed up to me. Frank caught Percy just in time—he looked like he was about to pass out.

"What's wrong with him?" I worried.

"It's okay, he's does this sometimes," the girl— Hazel—assured me.

Hazel had coffee colored skin and sweet, curly, caramel hair. Her eyes were flecked with gold's and greens and browns, resembling the earth itself. She looked around 13 or 14.

"But what's the _matter_?" I persisted.

"Just… come with us," Hazel said as she walked over to speak with the other Praetor. What was her name again? The introductions had been far too brief to stick. Was it Ruby? No… Reyna! That was it. Her name was Reyna.

Hazel spoke with her for a short time, probably asking permission for me to come with them. Reyna shook her head forcefully, but the small girl kept persisting. Finally Hazel caved and walked away, a regretful air around her.

Not able to take it any longer, I walked purposefully over to Reyna. Her long, black hair fanned out behind her, tangling with her majestic purple cape. Reyna's dark eyes were alert, calculating every possible move the Greeks might make. She seemed familiar…

"Excuse me, but what's wrong with Percy, and why can't I come?" I demanded, slightly surprised by how in control I was of my voice.

"Who are you?" she countered.

"Annabeth, Annabeth Chase. Daughter of Athena and official architect of Olympus," I stated automatically.

Reyna nodded her head in approval. I could tell she recognized me too, but we both knew that wasn't important right now. "And your relation to Percy would be…"

"I'm…" I didn't know if I should tell her or not. I figured Reyna might not have let me go if I said we were just friends, so it looked like I was going to have to risk it. "I'm his girlfriend. Now can I please go see him?" I continued.

Reyna looked a little taken aback by my proclaiming to be his girlfriend. Then a look of pure and utter hatred flashed across her face before she was able to compose herself again. Her proud façade was dwindling.

"Liar," she hissed.

"Liar? Percy's my boyfriend, I'm his girlfriend," I said the last part very slowly, as if explaining it to a two year old.

"_I'm_ his girlfriend," she stated, puffing out her chest like it was the best thing in the world.

Remember how I said my whole world shattered? Yeah, well there must have been some small remote island that that survived my mental apocalypse, because right then that exploded, too.

I was dangerously close to crying now. My eyes were itching and they felt misty. I wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. I mean, I had figured Percy might've gotten another girlfriend at the Roman camp, considering his good looks and developed skill to be a complete and utter moron (which for some reason seemed to attract a lot of other girls). But I guess I never fully prepared myself for something like this. So I just stood there, mouth opening and closing like some pathetic fish, looking utterly stupid. Reyna seemed to be at war with herself. Finally she spoke up.

"I… I guess you could go see him if you want," she relented.

I gazed at her in shock, searching her eyes and face for any sign of an ulterior motive. But the only thing I detected was sympathy and… was that pity? No. None pities _me._ But right now, the need to see Percy was greater than my own dignity. _Oh gods,_ I though. _What has the boy done to me?_

"Uh… okay. Thanks," I replied, still perplexed at her sudden generosity. Reyna motioned for one of the other Roman campers to come and show me the way to the infirmary. But before she let me go, Reyna grabbed my elbow and whispered,

"Listen, Annabeth, if Percy really is your boyfriend, and you really do love him," I cut her off her by saying,

"I do."

"—then I won't stand in your way. I understand," she reassured me. Her face glowed with pride—like she was okay with what she was doing. But her eyes told a different story. A story of too much loss for a girl her age to bear. And suddenly _I_ felt pity for _her, _though I wasn't sure why.

"I'm sorry," I apologized before running off with the other demigod.

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o-Normal linebreaks are boring-o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O**

The moment I burst through the sterile, white double door to the infirmary I was greeted by the strong smell of antiseptics. I hated that smell so much. It made me think of all the bad things in life; all the time's anyone's ever gotten hurt. And to make matters worse, Percy was hooked up to some weird coat rack thing, lying passed out on a bed. As I made my way through the labyrinth of hospital cots and various equipments I realized he had an IV attached to his hand. A weird, clear liquid gradually dripped through the thin tube.

Wow. This place was a lot more high-tech than Camp Half Blood. All we had was Argus.

After what felt like a thousand years I finally reached his bed. My breath hitched in my throat; Percy was right here in front of me. One of my hands found his and the other gently stroked his cheek. I could almost pretend like he still remembered me, like everything was going to be okay. Almost.

I was so lost in my reverie that I barely noticed that guy named Frank saunter up beside me. He just stared at me a while, watching me watch Percy. Still, a corner of my mind was analyzing him, too.

Frank was tall, a little shorter than Percy. He was unusually muscular and looked around 15. His hair was cut short, and I would've called him a son of Ares—err, Mars—if it hadn't been for his babyish face.

And his eyes. They weren't cold or bloodthirsty like the other children of Mars eyes were—Frank's were loving and soft, like he cared about things with a passion. Like he considered life a precious gift in itself, the way it is for some of us demigods. It was refreshing seeing someone I knew I could trust right away.

"I'm guessing you're Annabeth," Frank broke the previously slightly awkward silence.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked, confused.

"Percy talked about you in his sleep. He'd say your name a lot, like he missed you. When we'd ask him about it, he always said he had a feeling you were someone really important," Franks said _important_ like he knew I was dating him. Well, that I _used_ to be dating him. I guess my facebook status right now would be "it's complicated."

"What about Reyna?" I questioned.

"What about her?" Frank mused, "Percy only went out with her because he felt bad for her, with Jason missing and all. But now he's back, so…"

He chuckled slightly, noticing the ounce of hope lighting up my face.

"He said he thought he loved you," Frank whispered, suddenly becoming serious.

All I could do was nod to prevent that dam from breaking. Gods, has my life been emotional lately or what? I should have my own column in _Seventeen_, or something.

"Wait…" I faltered, "Why is he even here? I mean, you never told me what was wrong."

"Oh, that," Frank said as if it was the most irrelevant thing in the world. "He does that when he gets another big memory," he explained.

I made my head move up and down again, showing Frank I was listening. A few short seconds passed before Hazel joined us.

"This is Annabeth," Frank explained.

I didn't look at her; I hadn't taken my eyes off of Percy since I'd gotten here. When he woke up I wanted to be the first thing he saw.

And suddenly, just like that, his eyelids fluttered open, revealing a sea of emotions so deep I doubted even Poseidon could access it.

My lips formed the word "Percy," but no sound came out. My voice froze in my throat, waiting to see if he remembered anything more.

"Annabeth? What's going on?" he croaked. His eyebrows nit together like he does when he's worried.

I tried to make myself say something to let him know I was there for him, but my voice still betrayed me. Luckily, though, Hazel came to my rescue.

"Percy… do you remember anything else? Like, before you came to Camp Jupiter?" Hazel suggested in a small voice, afraid of the answer.

I hated asking questions. Most of the time the answer was not what I was looking for in any way whatsoever. Especially questions like these. Though this time seemed to be an expection.

"Yeah… I remember another Camp, in New York. And strawberries and a canoe lake and a game of Capture the Flag and…" here Percy paused and turned his head to stare into my eyes.

"And an underwater kiss."

I couldn't keep the tears back any longer. I buried my face in his shoulder, crying a thousand tears for every second we were apart. Vaguely I heard Frank and Hazel's footsteps receding, probably wanting to give us some privacy. Percy kissed the top of my head and buried his face in my hair. He whispered comforting words in my ear and just held me while I cried. I had been so strong this whole time, but right here in his arms everything suddenly became too much.

Eventually I calmed down enough to pull back just enough so we could see each other. We were still holding each other tightly. I was afraid that if I let go, that if I _ever_ let go, he'd evaporate like a dream. I was painfully conscious of how red and blotchy and tired my face must've been.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'll never leave you. Never, ever again. I'm so sorry Wise Girl."

A fresh wave of tears washed over me. I don't know why I was being so emotional that day. It probably had something to do with how much I'd missed him and the aching feeling in my heart.

"It's not your fault," I reassured him.

He nodded slowly, not really believing me. Then he leaned in and did something we hadn't done in over eight months.

Percy kissed me. It was sweet and gentle and filled with emotion. Love was written in our touch. We didn't have to speak; just being in other's presence was enough. Percy's hands caressed my face and mine tangled themselves in his hair.

Eventually we broke apart, both gasping for air. He leaned his forehead against mine and whispered,

"So, no more questions?"

A smile climbed onto my face.

"No more questions," I promised, and then leaned in for another kiss.


	17. Chapter 17

**17. Blood**

**A/N: Hola mis pequeños jirafas's! I hope you like this one. I read a few like this where it's Percy this happens to instead of Annabeth, and I wanted to try one. I also apologize for Percy's address; I don't know if it's right or not. I just googled it. So, reach under you bed where you keep your safe that you keep your PJO books in, open it, pull out the Lightning Thief, and correct me! Yay!**

**I know this chapter's not my best, but I was tired and I don't really any way to connect with this piece.**

**Dedication:**

**Dedication goes to: Anyone who can relate to this chapter. One of my close friend's cousins got killed by a drunk driver, and I know how much it hurt her. So, if you can relate to this in anyway, I'm really, really sorry. God bless all of you 333**

_**Please Review! CC and Flames are accepted!**_

**Disclaimer: I didn't own PJO 5 minutes ago, I don't own it now.**

_Tonight I can write the saddest lines…_

_My sight searches for her as though to go with her._

_My heart looks for her, and she is not with me…_

_Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer_

_And these the last verses that I write for her._

_~ Pablo Neruda (excerpt from the poem "Tonight I Can Write")_

Annabeths POV:

New York's signature city-scented breeze gently played with my hair; tossing it back and forth above my jacket-clad shoulders. Today was one of those weird early winter days where the sun was out and shining in all its glory but you still felt oddly chilled. I stood outside my boarding school in New York, searching the overly-crowded streets for any sign of a cab. It wasn't that hard to get one, considering my friend, Alice, made me where a _very_ short skirt and some _very_ promiscuous **(hehe… Excel joke)** heels.

Before long, a taxi driver pulled up. I coughed a bit from all the exhaust fumes. I peered in through the grimy window to see a beer-bellied**(sp?)** man in a stained, white muscle shirt. He was poorly shaven and I could smell the pungent mixture of urine and cheep beer lingering on his dry skin. One of his fat arms was thrown carelessly around the passenger seat and the other was cradling a large cigar. Used candy wrappers and broken beer bottles littered the cab's stained floor.

The man leaned over and rolled down the window. "Ya need a ride, sweetheart?" he asked in a heavily liquored-up voice.

_Uhg._

I checked my watch; 3:41. If I didn't get a ride, and fast, I was going to be late. I was supposed to be catching my flight at JFK airport to San Francisco at 4:00.

Sighing, I nodded to the driver and climbed in the back seat.

"S'where to, babe?" the man slurred. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was a little too drowsy to be driving, but I pushed it aside. I'm sure it was safe, right? He probably would've been pulled over by now if it wasn't.

"East One hundred and Fourth and First," I recited. His address was burned into my mind, so it rolled off my tongue like a first language.

The man nodded slowly like he didn't quite hear me. Now that we were closer I noticed he had a stubbly beard shadowing his double chin. Then the cab driver turned around in his seat and floored it, swaying slightly as he did so. Okay, this was a bad idea. He's totally drunk.

"Uh, sir…. _sir_? You can stop now…" but he wasn't listening. So I unsheathed my bronze knife and brought it up to his throat. The blade glistened like the ocean's surface on a sweet summer afternoon.

"Let me out, now." I demanded in a steely tone.

But the man didn't hear me. He had fallen asleep. Oh gods, this was not good. I know I've face hundreds, probably thousands of monsters, but I was still really scared. I wasn't in control of this. He could crash any second and—

_Bam!_

My head slammed against the window so hard the glass shattered. My left temple exploded in pain. I felt a piece of the debris lodge itself deep in my shoulder. A warm, sticky substance was spilling profusely down the left side of my head. I only realized it was blood when the stuff started to pool in my lap.

The nauseating crunch of metal on metal still rang loudly in the air. The car was spinning uncontrollably across the streets of New York. The whole right side of the car was crunched up against me so that I felt like a sardine in a can. If I hadn't moved over when I had gotten in, I would've been dead now.

My whole body ached. I felt like someone had smacked two metal boards against my head as hard as they could. The world was spinning at an alarmingly fast rate. My spit was tainted by blood.

Sirens and shouts littered the air. My fingers flew up to my head, examining the wound as best I could. It was bad. Really bad. All my hair on that side was now a dark crimson and plastered to my cheek and neck.

My shoulder felt like it was on fire, and my vision was blurring. The flashing red and blue lights blended with the colors of running people's jackets. _I'm sorry Percy,_ I thought.

Then my world gave way to blackness.

Percy's POV:

_Riiing. Riiing._

_Uhg_, I mentally groaned, walking over to the house phone. I was getting a little impatient. Why wasn't Annabeth here yet? It was 4:30 and it wasn't like her to be late. Eagerly I picked it up and placed the cool plastic surface against the side of my face.

"Hello?"

"Is this the Jackson residents?" said a gruff male voice. I nodded, but then remembered he couldn't see me.

"Yes, why? What's the matter?"

"Do you know a Miss Annabeth Chase?" the man asked. What was going on? I gulped, but it got stuck in my throat.

"Yeah, why? What happened?" I questioned, making my voice sound as urgent as possible.

"Miss Chase was recently in a bad car accident. We emitted her to the hospital about an hour ago," He explained.

"Wh…. is she okay?" I was unable to hide the quivering tone in my voice.

"She had a shoulder wound and some pretty bad head injuries. We're not sure if she's gonna make it."

My world split in two.

"She's at the Central Hospital."**(A/N: I have no clue if this is a real hospital or not. I just made it up)**

"O-okay. I'll be there as soon as I can," I promised, already halfway out the door.

**O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o-Normal linebreaks are boring-o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O**

"Excuse me?" I cleared my throat. "I'm looking for an Annabeth Chase. She was admitted an hour ago."

"Yes, yes, I see her. And you would be?" The lady asked at the front desk to the hospital. I squinted, trying to read the fine print on her name tag, but that was like torture to my dyslexic brain. Her blond girls and gray eyes were like a punch in the gut. Annabeth was somewhere here, dying, and I wasn't there by her side. I would never forgive myself if she was already gone…

"I'm Percy Jackson, her boyfriend. Someone—a police officer, I think—called me to come here," I added.

"May I see some ID please?"

Gods, what was wrong with this woman? I knew it was no use arguing, so I whipped out my drivers licenses and hastily handed it over to her. She examined it for a moment, seeing if it was legit. I half expected her to start taking samples from it with a cotton swab or something.

"Okay, everything seems to be in order. Miss Chase is in the *insert emergency ward name that I could not find on the internet here*ward," she instructed. Then she stood up halfway and pointed down the hallway.

"Go down that corridor, and make a left. She's in room 57."

I nodded for about the millionth time that night. I probably looked like some depressed bobble head. I followed her instructions as fast as I could without running. I didn't want to accidentally knock over some old lady and get sued. Yeah, that wouldn't be particularly helpful right now.

Before I knew it I was jiggling the silver handle to room 57. I closed my eyes, afraid of what I would find inside. With my eyes still pressed together tightly, I pushed the heavy metal door open.

When I finally opened my eyes I was hit with a wave of nausea. Annabeth was lying on unnaturally white sheets with tubes snaking out of her arms and hands. She looked unbelievably tired. As I edged closer, I noticed her intimidating gray eyes weren't that scary anymore—they had lost that little spark of life I loved so much.

"Annabeth?" I whispered, sitting down beside her and taking her hand gently in mine. I prayed she didn't notice how bad I was shaking.

"Hi Percy," she mumbled softly.

"What… what happened?" I asked, terrified of the answer.

"Cab driver… drunk… accident," she croaked. It was so quite in that fateful hospital room I'm pretty sure she could hear the loud crack my heart made. Annabeth coughed a little, blood blooming on her lips as she did so.

I nodded in understanding and carefully wiped away the blood. "Shh," I whispered. "Don't talk anymore. It's gonna be okay."

Annabeth moved her head slowly, indicated she understood. I sat there with her for a while; stroking her hand and brushing lose strands of blood-caked hair off her face. Every subtle tick of the clock on the wall felt like another piece of Annabeth slipping away from me forever.

I felt oddly detached from everything like this tragedy couldn't possibly be my life, it _wasn't_ my life. Suddenly a beeping started sounding from one of the more complex machines she was hooked up to. I forced my eyes up to look at it. Annabeth's heart rate was slowing rapidly.

"Percy, I'm scared," she admitted, turning her head slightly to look into my eyes. Seeing her like this made every fiber of me burn with sorrow. My mind raced a thousand miles a minute, searching every crevice of my soul for a happy ending to this story.

"It's okay, Wise Girl. You're gonna be okay. I love you," I comforted. It was all I could do to keep from bawling.

"You're crying." Annabeth lifted her hand and touched my cheek, wiping away tears I hadn't known were there. Annabeth's breathing became more ragged, coming out in short, greedy gasps. My throat burned and my vision was blurring from the salty tears streaming down my face.

I leaned down and in one swift, smooth motion I kissed her trembling lips for the last time. They were cold and still bloody, but it was Annabeth. I tried to but all my feelings in that one kiss. That I would always love her, that I would never forget her, that I will never be whole again without her.

We pulled away and Annabeth took a deep, shuddering breath before saying, "I'll always love you, Percy; _always_." She squeezed my hand once more before closing her eyes for the last time.

I could feel myself being torn in two, falling apart, dying from the inside out. I found myself unable to carry the weight of my head any longer so I let it drop on her bed. Tearstains soiled the too-white sheets.

Everything was too bright, too loud. My senses were on overload from the sudden wave of angst. Nothing in the world mattered except the fact that my best friend, my soul mate, was gone like a child's wish in the wind. I could practically feel the Fate's unforgiving, cruel scissors cut Annabeth's thin string, taking my heart with it.

When I look back on that night I vaguely recall a hoard of medical staff crowding in her room, taking her vitals. They all patted me on the back awkwardly, bittersweet condolences falling off their tongues. I remember them taking her away and forcing me to leave, too. So I sat in the waiting room, a cold numbness seeping through my veins.

I couldn't drive myself home, so I called my mom. She picked up on the third ring.

"Percy? Where are you? Is everything okay?" At the sound of her voice, so ignorant of our situation, I started crying again. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks like a forlorn waterfall. Desperation and heartbreak was written in my every movement.

"She's…. gone," I choked out into the receiver.

My mother told me she was sorry before succumbing to tears as well. I heard Paul's voice in the background, and he ended up taking the phone from my mom.

"I'm so sorry, Percy. We'll be right there," he promised before hanging up. The intoxicated smell of antiseptics and soap faded to the background as full realization hit me. I was never getting her back.

I'm not sure how long I waited for my mother and Paul. It was somewhere between three seconds and a million forever's. But eventually I felt my mother's warm arms around me, telling me it would be alright, and that we would get through this.

Despite the overwhelming urge to believe her, I couldn't. Not with Annabeth's dried blood still on my fingertips.


	18. Chapter 18

**18. Rainbow**

**A/N: Kamusta aking balangaw butterflies! Well, hello again. No, I am not dead, thank you very much. I feel sooo bad for not posting sooner! It's just that school is ending next Monday and these past two weeks have been filled with tests, finals, projects and more projects. For some reason all of my teachers must have thought it would be a great idea to give us a project from every class, which is like 8 projects. It was all due last Friday, and since I'm a major procrastinator… yeah. Also, I'm reading **_**"1984"**_** by George Orwell, and it's so good! Anyway, on with the really crappy story that I just wanted to get up and over with!**

**Dedication:**

**Dedication goes to: **_ThAtOtHeRpSyCoPaTh__, __Brittanyz__, __PercabethAndZebrasFTW__, __APPLEZ__, __bookworm909__, __ireadeverythang64__, __no-percabeth-is-no-life__,__kptwistepghost, __joloco311__, __mackenzie-jackson2502166_**and everyone else who reviewed chapter 17 (**_APPLEZ _**reviewed chapter 11, but still.) I love all you guys so much!**

_**Please Review! CC and Flames are accepted!**_

**Disclaimer: Times were hard this year. My parents couldn't afford the rights to PJO for my birthday.**

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><p><em>Originally humans were combined of 4 arms, 4 legs, and a single head made of 2 faces, but Zeus feared their power and split them all in half, condemning them to spending their lives searching for the other half to complete them.<em>

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><p><span>Annabeth's POV:<span>

Outside, the San Francisco sky was crying. My eyes traced the wet streaks the rain made across the window of the _Argo II_. I was so lost in thought about, well, everything that I barely noticed the warm, calloused hand squeeze mine.

"Hey, Wise Girl," Percy whispered, sending a wave of shivers down my spine. His hot breath provoked a cluster of Goosebumps to appear on my skin. All those months he was gone I hadn't realized how much I missed every annoying little detail about him. His clumsiness, that little cowlick at the back of his head that always stood up, even being deprived of his cheesy jokes had really taken a toll on me.

"Hi, Percy," I replied, planting a small peck on his lips. I noticed a little light went out of his eyes when I pulled away so quickly.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Percy asked. His voice sounded oddly strained.

He moved his body closer to mine so we were pressed up against each other. I'd admit I was glad he did that. Not only because of how cold I was—apparently the heating was broken on the _Argo II_ and Camp Jupiter didn't have any, since they were in California. Although for some reason it was oddly cold today—but because of how much my body yearned for his touch. We had been separated for over _eight freaking months_, and there wasn't enough time in the world to make up for it.

I turned slightly and he put his arms around my waste so we were holding each other, squished up against one side of the plush couch positioned next to a large window. But neither of us was gazing at the fat raindrops plummeting from above—the only thing we could see was each other. Gray met green and everything else melted away.

"Everything," I answered honestly. He nodded like he understood. He probably did, considering he'd been _my_ best friend for about five years now.

"I'm sorry. For everything," he apologized. I was confused. Why was Percy sorry? _What_ did he do this time?

"For what?" I asked. I could feel my eyebrows scrunch together and rise involuntarily.

"For disappearing, leaving you, not calling, for not being there for you. I'm sorry for you having to go through everything you've been through. It's not fair; you didn't deserve any of it." Percy's voice cracked. The look of regret and pain in his sea-green eyes felt like a hot iron to my heart. I was shocked. I had no idea Percy felt this way. I knew he tended to blame himself for things, but all this?

"Percy…" I sighed, unsure of what to do. I felt my lips purse and my eyes furrow deeper together. "How could you think any of that was your fault? I don't blame you for anything that's happened to me," I reassured him.

Percy nodded slowly, but I knew under that mask of comprehension he didn't really believe me. I leaned in, eliminated the ½ centimeter that still lay between us and kissed him with all the passion and love and solidity I could muster.

"I love you," I whispered, still keeping my eyes closed.

"I love you too," he echoed.

When I opened my eyes I saw nothing but pain pooling in Percy's mesmerizing eyes. He looked close to tears. That's when I knew there was something he wasn't telling me. Percy never cried, ever.

"Seaweedbrain, what's wrong?" I tried to put as much compassion as I could into those three words.

He averted his eyes away from me as if it hurt to see me. I swallowed hard. Whatever he wasn't telling me was bad. I could feel his strong arms tighten their grip around my waist, pulling me even closer. I lifted my hand and gently pushed his face so that he was looking at me again. There was thin wet line streaking his face.

"I just had another dream. You died. Only this time… this time Gaea said it was real. She said it was inevitable. And I don't think she was lying, Annabeth," his voice cracked again as another desperate tear escaped his eyes. I wiped it away with my thumb and hugged Percy fiercely. I never wanted to let go. I tried not to show any weakness, but inside I was scared to death. _Gaea had told Percy I would die?_ She was probably just trying to frighten him, but Percy sure didn't think so. Maybe she was telling the truth…

"How… how did I die?" I whispered in his ear, still holding him tight, my voice coming out small and broken.

"You sacrificed yourself for something, but I don't know what." Suddenly his voice became urgent. He pulled away slightly so that we were looking into each others eyes once more. Terrified gray met distressed green.

"Annabeth… you have to promise me you won't do that. Promise me you won't sacrifice yourself."

"I… I can't promise you that, Percy," I tried to reason with him, but this just caused another few tears to wash over his cheeks.

"And _I _can't lose you, Annabeth. If you died, it'd kill me too," he whispered. A few cracks began to form in my heart.

"If I'm destined to die, Percy, it's going to happen no matter what. Even if I did promise you that, The Fates would find another way. All we can do is hope Gaea was just trying to scare you, and that The Fates are on our side this time," I reassured.

Percy nodded slowly, not wanting to face the fact that we might not have each other by the time this was all over. That notion was like a sharp knife to my soul. Would I be able to move on without Percy in my life? No, I wouldn't. Not fully at least. He _was _my life, my soul mate.

I didn't realize I was crying until Percy's hand caressed my face and brushed away the silent tears. He pressed me against him, whispering false comforts neither of us really believed. Now I understood why Percy had been apologizing earlier.

By now we had taken over the California's sky's job of watering the earth. Percy's tears had ceased, but mine still flowed fresh like blood from an open wound. Outside a sickly beautiful rainbow glistened in the sky, mocking us with its promise of a new day that we may never have. That rainbow would forever be a reminder of how simply unfair our lives would always be.

I decided I hated rainbows.

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><p><strong>AN 2: Wow. Uh, when I started this it was going to be Annabeth and Percy kissing in the rain and then a rainbow came out and Annabeth would think "I decided I loved rainbows." I honestly have no clue where this came from. Oh well. The next one will be longer and completely Percy-centric. It's almost 10:00pm, so bye now my little muffins!**


	19. Chapter 19

**19. Gray**

**A/N: Hola! Thank you to all the reviewers! And to whoever asked about making another funny one, I swear I'll make the next ones funny. I know they've all been kinda depressing lately, but that's what came to me so that's what I wrote. But don't worry! I will include some more on the funny side soon, if not the next chapter. The beginning of this is humor, but the end is fluff because one, this prompt is perfect for fluff and two; I was listening to "Kiss Me Slowly," "Hero/Heroine" and "All About Us" the whole time I was writing this. And this is another **_**Argo II**_** story. For some reason, I'm just obsessed with these right now. But if you really want, this could be anywhere. Setting doesn't really matter for this one.**

**Dedication:**

**Dedication goes to: everyone who loves books, which is probably all of you :)**

_**Please Review! CC and Flames are accepted!**_

**Disclaimer: If I was Rick Riordan, I wouldn't have ended the SoN without the Percabeth reunion. And I don't own "Hero/Heroine" by Boys like Girls.**

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><p>"<em>Cause you caught me off guard, now I'm running and screaming. I feel like a hero and you are my heroine. I won't try to philosophize, I'll just take a deep breath and I'll look in your eyes. This is how I feel, and it's so surreal."<em>—Boys like Girls, "Hero/Heroine".

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><p><span>Percy's POV:<span>

The music swirled brilliantly with the love in the air. The wooden floors of the _Argo II_ creaked good-naturally under our spinning feet. Somewhere off to my right, Piper's laugh sounded as Jason pulled her out of a dip. Stars twinkled like cheap champagne in the night sky, accompanied by a warm breeze. My eyes scanned the crowd in vain for a crown of blond hair. I sighed and took a seat next to Leo, who was staring longing at… Reyna?

"Hey," I tried.

"Wha… oh. Hi, Percy," Leo huffed absentmindedly.

"Hi? Is that it? Gosh, Leo, what's got into you?"

Leo finally managed to tare his gaze away from the thin, regal figure gliding through the crowd of demigods. The Greeks had been at Camp Jupiter for about a week now, and to relieve some of the lingering tension the Apollo cabin decided to throw a little _"party"._ Even Octavian had come.

"It's… it's Reyna," he admitted, "I don't think she exactly _likes_ me."

A small smile played on my lips. "Well, you did kinda dye her hair purple."

The other day, Travis and Conner managed to recruit Leo. Let's just say things haven't been boring around here.

"Hey! I figured that was the whole look she was going for, and…. oh gods. I can't believe I actually did that." He sighed, burying his face in his hands.

"Listen, dude, why don't you just go talk to her? She won't bite… most days," I chuckled.

"Talk to…. You want me to talk to _her_? She's Reyna! She'll kill me if I even look at her!" he exclaimed, throwing his oil-covered hands in the air.

"Seriously, Leo, it's not that hard," I encouraged. Oh, who was I kidding?

"Okay, it is hard. Really hard."

"…like Sparky's abbs? 'Cuz… oh, he's just _so_ gorgeous!" Leo squealed in perfect imitation of Piper.

"Exactly," I laughed, "Now get over there. _They_ don't like to wait."

"Thanks, Percy," Leo said, getting up and strolling over to Reyna as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Hey," Leo greeted in a low, husky voice. He lowered his head and threw his arm around Reyna who just shrugged it off. I was desperately trying to keep a straight face.

"Hi," Reyna chopped off his words like you would lettuce heads for a salad, letting them fall to the ground. But, being Leo, he managed to regain his annoying self-confidence in a split second. Leo cleared his throat.

"Is your name Lucky Charms? 'Cuz you're magically delicious!" he exclaimed. I did a mental face-palm. That was pathetic, even for Leo.

Reyna was trying really hard not to laugh.

Leo tried again. "If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together," he smiled.

"_Really?_" Reyna scoffed. "'Cuz I'd put F and U together."

I don't think even Leo's powers could protect him from that burn*.

"Oh… uh, well…" he stuttered.

A triumph look was plastered on Reyna's face as she watched Leo struggle with glee. I guess that Reyna pitied him, though, because after a few minutes of satisfaction she put her hands on her hips and said,

"Well? Are you going to ask me to dance or what?"

And Leo's oh-so-intelligent reply was, "Wait… what?"

"Are. You. Gonna. Ask. Me. To. Dance?" She repeated as if explaining it to a small child.

"Yeah, uh… so, Reyna, do you uh, maybe…. wanna dance?" Leo squeaked.

"Sure thing, Repair Boy," she whispered before taking his hand and disappearing into the crowd.

I sighed, looked around for Annabeth one more time and came up empty. I had this nagging feeling that I needed to tell her something important. I decided to go look for her somewhere else but before I had the chance to go I felt a pair of small, warm hands cover my eyes.

"Guess who?" Annabeth whispered. Her soft, minty breath sent chills down my spine.

My face broke into a small as I spun around and picked her up in a giant hug. I twirled her around before setting her back down on the ground.

"Hey," I said.

"Hi," she replied. Annabeth was clad in her regular attire—orange Camp Half-Blood tee shirt, dark jeans and beautiful blond curls in a messy ponytail.

"Where were you?" I questioned.

"Hmm? Oh, just working on stuff. You know," she shrugged. I nodded. Annabeth had been overloaded with work lately, between the upcoming quest and Olympus and Camp. We just stood there for a few seconds, enjoying each others presence.

"So, um, hi everybody," Will Solace from the Apollo cabin stepped up to the mike.

"Well, we decided to dedicate this song to two of our favorite campers— Percy and Annabeth," with that Will sent me a little wink, "Hope you guys like it."

He stepped away from the microphone as a fast-paced song started. I looked into Annabeth's beautiful gray eyes, the eye's I fell in love with so long ago. She smiled and wrapped her hands around my neck and I put my hands on her waist. We started to dance a sweet, slow dance.

_It's too late baby, there's no turning around. _

_I've got my hands in my pocket and my head in a cloud. _

_This is how I do when I think about you. _

_I never thought that you could break me apart. _

_I keep a sinister smile and a hold of my heart. _

_You want to get inside then you can get in line _

_But not this time_

_Cause you caught me off guard_

_Now I'm running and screaming_

_I feel like a hero and you are my heroine_

Her mesmerizing gray eyes sparkled like the ocean on a crystal clear day. She looked so happy as she turned in my arms, but I still couldn't shake the annoying feeling that I was forgetting something.

_I won't try to philosophize_

_I'll just take a deep breath and I'll look in your eyes_

_This is how I feel_

_And it's so surreal_

_I got a closet filled up to the brim_

_With the ghosts of my past and the skeletons_

_And I don't know why_

_You'd even try_

_But I won't lie_

_You caught me off guard_

_Now I'm running and screaming_

By now, everyone else on the dance floor was staring at us, but all I could see was Annabeth. I couldn't keep myself from getting lost in her powerful eyes. Gray was all I saw. Gray, the perfect neutral, the perfect balance. The color of wisdom, of reasonability. The color of innocence, of leadership, of knowledge. The perfect counter-reckless for green.

_I feel like a hero and you are my heroine_

_Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?_

_And I feel a weakness coming on_

_Never felt so good to be so wrong_

_Had my heart on lockdown_

_And then you turned me around_

_I'm feeling like a new born child_

_Every time I get a chance to see you smile_

_It's not complicated_

_I was so jaded_

_And you caught me off guard_

_Now I'm running and screaming_

I spun Annabeth around as she laughed. Her voice sounded like a pulchritudinous summer symphony. Her golden locks framed her face, giving her an angelic quality. We resumed our previous dance of slowly turning. I tightened my grip on her waist, never wanting to let this moment go.

_I feel like a hero and you are my heroine_

_Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?_

_(I feel like a hero and you are my heroine)_

_And I feel a weakness coming on_

_Never felt so good to be so wrong_

_Had my heart on lockdown_

_And then you turned me around_

_(Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?)_

_I'm feeling like a new born child_

_Every time I get a chance to see you smile_

_It's not complicated_

_I was so jaded_

_(I feel like a hero and you are my heroine)_

_And I feel a weakness coming on_

_Never felt so good to be so wrong_

_Had my heart on lockdown_

_And then you turned me around_

_(Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?)_

_I'm feeling like a new born child_

_Every time I get a chance to see you smile_

_It's not complicated_

_I was so jaded_

The song ended and the boat erupted in cheers. I smiled at Annabeth and she returned the favor. Her eyes were the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Don't tell anyone this, but my favorite color isn't actually blue. It's gray, because of how much it reminded me of her. But I still couldn't remember what I needed to tell her.

She got on her tiptoes and kissed me. I loved the fact that I was finally taller than her now. I bent my head and kissed her back, never wanting this moment to end. After somewhere between a few seconds to several years we broke apart.

Gray met green and I knew in an instant what I had to say.

"I love you," we whispered at the same time.

Smiling like crazy, hand in hand, we left the singing dance floor.

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><p><strong>AN 2: Ehh... that was okay, I guess. Not as good as my last chapter, but whatever. I just wanted to get this out to you guys. Anyway, uh, not sure what the next prompt is, but since summer break starts on Monday (we go to like, eleven) I should have the next one up by Tuesday. I'll try my best to make it funny and better! See ya!**

***= I know the joke was totally lame, but I was thinking about how everyone always goes "ooh, burn!" so... yeah. XD**


	20. Chapter 20

**20. Fortitude**

**A/N: Hola mi mullido hipopótamo!** **So, despite the fact that this prompt is screaming angst; the lovely **_ireadeverythang64_ helped** me out and suggested hot to make this a funny one. Also, let's try to get to 100 reviews people! We're at 93, so if 7 of you do me the kind favor of clicking that giant blue review button than I will be happier than a bird with a French fry. Thank you so much! Also, I know this one isn't anywhere near my best and it's so short I'm embarrassed to call it a chapter, but I'm also working on a really long, really angst-y Percabeth fic called **_**"1,000 Shades of Pain"**_**. That should be out by Friday if any of you want to check it out! (It's like, ten pages on word).**

**Oh, and I'm not sure how well this is gonna turn out exactly. It's 3:37 am and I still have to write this, and I'm not going to check it over, so sorry if it sucks. I had a coke today (wow that stuff gets to me) and now I can't sleep.**

**Dedication:**

**Dedication goes to: **_ireadeverythang64_ **because they gave me the idea for this one.**

_**Please Review! CC and Flames are accepted!**_

**Disclaimer: *sigh* you know, I'm not even gonna say it.**

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><p>"<em>Patience. Just a slow way to get pissed off"-Anonymous<em>

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><p><span>Leo's POV:<span>

It was dark… too dark. My senses were on overload. The scent of raw flesh and blood hung thick in the air. Then suddenly, a scream sliced through the night like a scalpel. There was this huge… _thing_ coming after me, murder in its beady black eyes. The monster grabbed me by the waist and I kicked my legs uncontrollably. My hands were flying, desperately searching for a way out. I know I had a few seconds left, at best. I could practically feel my life being drained. Then death swooped in silent and slow, snatching my soul like a whisper.

The words, "GAME OVER," materialized on the large Plasma Screen TV I insisted be installed on the _Argo II._ A frustrated groan escaped my lips and I threw the remote control down. The leather seat underneath me squeaked as I adjusted my position. My hands found their way to my tool belt and I started idly building something.

I had been playing this stupid video game for seven hour straight, and Piper had gotten it in 30 minutes. Piper. In 30 minutes_. _Uhg… I felt like I just crashed from a caffeine high. I chanced a glance at the ticking clock on the wall— 4:00am. Ah, it wasn't _that _bad…

Anyway, basically Jason gave me this video game where you had to kill these weird super villains. Piper mastered it in no time, while I've been trying to get past level 12 for the past five hours. I know I should've been getting some sleep because we would be arriving at the Roman camp tomorrow morning, but I just _had_ to beat this. I felt this burning passion to finish it, and it was just so strong I don't know how I could've done anything else.

I took another swig of my Red Bull. _Gods, Annabeth's _so_ gonna kill me tomorrow, _I though. _Oh well. She'll probably be too busy making-out with Percy to care, though._

"_What_ did you just say, Valdez?" I heard a voice behind me and cringed. Annabeth.

I gave a nervous chuckle. "What? Did I say that out loud?"

She nodded, her eyes icy against mine. But I couldn't look away. I was not going to give this girl the satisfaction of knowing she won. …39 seconds passed before I cringed and look back at the TV.

"Whatever, Leo. What are you doing, anyway?" she asked.

"Trying to beat this stupid game," I replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Here, let me try," she offered. I handed her the remote and within 20 minutes she had the game completed. Twice.

"What the—Okay, this thing is seriously rigged!" I accused.

"Sure, Leo. Whatever stops the tears," Annabeth replied, her voice pooling in sarcasm.

"Just get some sleep, okay?" she crooned. "And no more Red Bull," she snatched the can away before I could chug it all.

Darn it. Good thing I always keep one in my pan- you know what, I'm not going to finish that sentence.

I nodded my head absentmindedly as I started playing again. By 7 o'clock my thumbs were cramped and having little fits of seizures, but I knew I had to go on, no matter what. I was the amazingly hot and available Leo Valdez, am I not?


	21. Chapter 21

**21. Vacation**

**A/N: Γεια! (That's "Hi" in Greek.) So, anyways, I'm back! Two updates in one day! Whoo-hoo! I'm all sad though. I know the last one totally sucked, but only 3 reviews? Well, hopefully I'll reach 100 this time :). Oh yeah, if you're the 100****th**** reviewer, I'll dedicate the next few chapters to you, so review! (I'll also review your stories, but I do that a lot anyways). And if you were getting tired of my usual depressing, angst-y ones, I think you'll like this. :))) (hehe… triple chin).**

**Dedication ****goes to the three people who reviewed, **_Bookworm909,__Fluffy Bunnies Are So Cute_** and **_PercabethAndZebrasFTW_** . Thanks!**

_**Please Review! CC and Flames are accepted!**_

**Disclaimer: The person who isn't writing this sentence may or may not know the president who may not know the person who is writing this sentence who doesn't own things, and the one person does own things does not know the person who doesn't own PJO or HoO.**

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><p>"<em>A dream is a wish your heart makes."—Walt Disney's "Cinderella".<em>

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><p><span>Percy's POV<span>

As soon as Percy saw Leo shoving big rainbow lollipops down the front of his pants, he knew things were going to get weird.

"LEO!" Percy screeched, stomping across the deck of the _Argo II_ **(A/N 2: yes, again XD)** like an annoying toddler. He grabbed one of the lollipops and started licking it feverishly.

Leo looked up from what he was doing just long enough to say, "Huh?"

Suddenly, Annabeth walked onto the deck, crying her eyes out.

"NOOO!" she wailed, "Why did you have to leave me Percy, why?"

"What the heck Annabeth, I'm right here!" Percy whined.

Annabeth held up a picture of Percy and started randomly singing _Star-Spangled Banner._

"Oh well," Annabeth said casually, "Now I can date Jason!"

"HELLOOOO!" Percy yelled, waving his arms and jumping up and down like he had to go pee, which he probably did. "I'M RIGHT HERE!"

Then he chucked the now-sticky lollipop right at her and laughed when it stuck to her hair. She didn't seem to notice though, because right then Jason and Piper walked in, all smoochy-smooch. Annabeth's face contorted with rage. She ran up to Piper and jumped on her back like a wild woman.

"AHHH!" Annabeth pulled Piper off Jason by the hair and started making-out with him. Then Piper walked up to Percy and they started randomly kissing.

Then Aphrodite appeared, accompanied by a poof of rose-scented pink smoke.

"NO!" she wailed. "Percabeth MUST prevail! I can't make a couple name for Piper and Percy! Pircy…. Peper….. AHHHH!" Then she spontaneously combusted, showering everyone in little Aphrodite-chunks.

"Baby, baby, baby OOOHHHHH!" Leo screeched, shattering all the glass on the boat. Shards rained down on them like bullets.

Suddenly, a blue swirly portal opened up and a tall, lanky rabbit jumped out singing, "Trix are for kids!" grasping a lethal-looking spoon in one hand and a cup of yogurt in the other. Then the rabbit laughed like a madman and swan-dived back into portal, but not before he released a miniature black and white penguin.

Leo jumped on the penguin and shoved it in his mouth as if the penguin were a bone. The penguin cried out, making petrified squealing noises, but everyone was too busy making-out to care. Leo was perched like a rabid dog on the floor, foam dripping from his mouth, ready to pounce any time.

Just then Frank walked in. He saw the penguin and started screaming, "MY BABY, MY BABY!" No one knew what he was talking about until his stomach started to rapidly grow as if he was pregnant.

"Whoa, Frank!" Hazel noted. _Wait, how did she get here?_ Percy thought. _Oh well._ Then he went back to kissing Piper.

"You didn't tell me you were still having an affair with that which of a penguin! I thought we talked about this! That's it, we're through!" With that Hazel jumped off the side of the ship, bawling over her recent break-up. Unfortunately, Hazel forgot they were 20,000 feet in the air. She hit the ground pretty hard.

Out of the blue a 15 foot tall rubber ducky wearing a striped bow-tie landed with a heavy _"thud"_ on the middle of the deck. Leo walked up to it and poked it with a long stick. The ducky started jumping in a circle while the "My little Pony" theme song played from somewhere deep inside its bowls.

By then everyone had stopped randomly making-out and were skipping around the duck chanting "The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town!"

All of a sudden, Percy started doing the running man. Frank and Jason joined in, hunched over, moving their legs like scissors and shaking their hands at their sides. Leo started doing cartwheel (still gnawing on that poor midget penguin) and Piper and Annabeth were playing a very violent game of Ring Around the Rosy. ...Don't ask.

The music continued to blare and the demigods never ceased dancing. There was a weird moment when both Frank and Percy were caught doing the sprinkler. But then there was a break in the music. _That's odd,_ he thought, stroking his imaginary beard. Then suddenly, an actual beard appeared! All curly and orange and everything!

"Hey, kids," groaned a deep, slow voice. A giant figure momentarily blocked the sun. "I'm Dora the Explorer!"

Above them stood a 60-foot-tall, blown-up version of Dora.

"Oh Styx," Annabeth muttered.

Dora released a deep, drunken scream and brought her fists down on us. Jason, Piper, Leo and Annabeth were crushed in the first blow. Frank had a hand under his protruding stomach, crying and asking for a pickle to hug. Percy, on the other hand, was doing the sensible thing.

He was curled up in the fetal position, sucking on his thumb and softly singing _"Boyfriend,"_ by Justin Beaver… er—_Bieber_, a son of Apollo.

"DIE!" Dora yelled. That was the last thing he remembered before succumbing to blackness.

***le linebreak!* (A/N 3: Get ready for some PERCABETH!)**

Percy woke up with a start, panting. What kind of a dream was that? Then he noticed there was someone lying beside him, which _seriously _freaked him out. He sat up quickly, accidentally shoving whoever it was in his bed onto the floor. _Please don't let it be Leo again,_ he prayed.

Suddenly, the events from last night came flooding back to him. Leo had been being stupid (because what else did he do?) and pulled a prank on Annabeth, which accidentally backfired and caused her bed to catch on fire. Since Annabeth had nowhere else to sleep, and the floor wasn't really an option, they sort of had a dilemma. Percy suggested he sleep on the floor and she could have his bed, but the others protested. Percy needed his sleep as much as everyone else.

So then Hazel proposed Annabeth sleep _with_ Percy until they got to Rome. When they started to protest, Piper butted in.

"Come on guys! You've been friends since you were twelve, you've been on like, five quests together, not to mention saved each other's lives countless times, and you can't sleep in the same bed?" she argued.

So, that night Annabeth ended up sleeping with Percy. And not that he'd ever admit this, but he loved the sweet, lemony scent that always seemed to lingering around her. Nothing happened, of course. He guessed it was a good thing he had been there that night because Annabeth had woken up from a nightmare again and— even though she'd never admit it— needed Percy.

"Percy?" Annabeth mumbled groggily from her position on the floor.

"Sorry," he apologized, helping her back up onto the bed.

"So," he started, looking directly into her gray eyes. "Good morning."

Annabeth smiled. "Good morning to you too, Seaweedbrain."

They just stayed there like that, side by side, gazing into each others eyes for a long time. No one spoke—they didn't need to.

Then suddenly Percy received a wave of memories about his dream last night. His face slackened. Even though he knew it was stupid, he just _had_ to make sure Frank wasn't pregnant and that Leo didn't eat penguins.

"Uh, Annabeth? I gotta go… check on something. I'll be back in a sec," Percy excused himself, running out of the room.

He ran out to the top deck and found Frank deep in conversation with Hazel. Percy sprinted over to the two of them.

"Frank! Hazel! _Please_ tell me Frank didn't get pregnant from a mini penguin last night!"

"Uh, Percy?" Hazel placed one of her small, delicate hands on his arm. "Are you alright? Leo didn't drug you _again _last night, did he?"

Percy just shook her off. "No. I guess it _was_ just a dream…"

"You had that dream too?" Jason asked, walking over to them.

"The one where a giant rubber duck starts playing "My Little Pony" and jumping around? Oh yeah," he confirmed.

Frank and Hazel were looking as if someone told them Annabeth was dating Reyna.

"We need a vacation," Jason sighed. Percy just nodded.


	22. Chapter 22

**22. Mother Nature**

**A/N: I'm BAAA-AAAACCKK! Hiya! So, if you haven't already, I was wondering if you guys could check out my one-shot "Ocean Eyes"? I'm going to try and make more one-shots like that, but with different genres. So… yeah. Thanks guys :) Oh, and another shout-out to **_High. Larry. Us_** for the idea.**

**Also, on my profile, I have a poll going on for another one-shot idea. If you want to, could you go vote? Thanks!**

**Dedication goes to **_joloco311_** for being the 100****th**** reviewer! Man, when I started this thing I was like: "Whoa! I got a review! YEAH!" And now, with only 22 chapters up, I have 105. I love you guys so much 333**

_**Please Review! CC and Flames are accepted!**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HoO. Well, I own the books, but that's not the point...**

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><p>"<em>Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.<em>_"—C.S Lewis_

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><p><span>Grover's POV:<span>

"Come on Annabeth, just wear it! Everybody else is," I told her, placing my hands on her shoulders and steering her towards the car. But she wouldn't budge.

"Uh-uh. I'm sorry if everybody else has given up their dignity, but there is no way I'm handing out these stupid _"Save the Planet"_ flyers wearing… whatever _this_ is!" she protested.

"Please? If you don't come, you'll never get to see Percy in his tights…" I trailed off. She started blushing, so being the amazing friend that I am naturally started laughing my head off.

"Fine," she huffed.

"Yay! Okay, come on. Rush hour starts at five, so we have, like, 20 minutes to get there," I told her. She walked…er, _waddled_ out behind me.

You see, since I was now the Lord of the Wild, I felt it was my duties to not only make the demigods start helping out Mother Nature, but I wanted to spread the word to the mortals. So I came up with this great idea to design costumes of litter and make Leo, Percy, Annabeth, Jason and Piper wear them. Annabeth was dressed up as an apple core… I think. And honestly, I didn't blame her for not wanting to come.

"So, you guys are just going to stand there and hand out these flyers. And if the people don't listen to you, follow them around and annoy them until they do. Got it?" I asked once we were all in the car. Chiron had let me borrow the camp's car, as long as I had Percy or Annabeth drive and didn't let Leo anywhere near the wheel.

A wave of nods passed over the car. "Good," I said.

We were there in a few minutes, a lot less time then I had expected. I helped everybody else climb out of the van with difficulty. It was especially hard for Jason, who was dressed as a giant trash-can.

"You know, that kind of suits you Sparky," Percy joked.

"Yeah, well at least I'm not the one in yellow tights," Jason countered. Percy's cheeks flushed. He was dressed as a giant rotten banana.

"Grover, where did you even find those?" Piper asked, gesturing to Percy's man-tights. She was wearing a life-sized plastic water bottle.

"I made all these myself, alright? So don't make fun of them!" I defended.

"I didn't think we were _that_ bad," Leo agreed, poking his costume which was a crumpled-up wad of paper. Okay, so maybe they _weren't_ the best, but still…

"Thank you Leo," I nodded. Suddenly, he was engulfed in flames.

"Whoa! Hey, guys, I think that's Selena Gomez over there! Look," he screamed, pointing across the street to… a _poster_ of Selena Gomez.

"Leo… that's just a cardboard cutout of her. It's not actually Selena Gomez," Jason pointed out.

'Wha—oh. Yeah, I knew that," he laughed nervously.

When the flames had died down, I saw he had completely turned my costume to ashes and was now dressed in his regular clothes.

"Leo," I whined, "you ruined your outfit!"

"Oops, sorry 'bout that, Grover," Leo apologized, not sounding the slightest bit sorry.

"How come I can't drown my costume?" Percy complained.

"I know, right? Why can't I like… electrocute mine of something?" Jason agreed.

"Come on, guys. Let's get this over with," Piper relented, dragging Jason down the block with her. Annabeth took Percy's hand with a sigh and led him down the other way. That left Leo and me.

"So…" I faltered. _Gods I wish Juniper were here,_ I thought. But she couldn't go too far away from her tree at Camp.

"So," he echoed. "I guess you're my date tonight, huh?" Leo asked, grabbing my wrist and walking across the street.

"Just don't tell Reyna about this, alright? She'll kill me," he whispered. I laughed.

"Sure, dude. Whatever."

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><p><span>Jason's POV:<span>

"Hey, Piper?" I asked.

"Hold on a sec," she said. "Hey, whatcha' doin' there?" Piper turned to a group of guys about 15 with her Charmspeak drenching every one of her words. That's just one of the many things I loved about Piper; she's evil.

Whoa… wait, where had_ that_ come from? Did I really _love_ Piper?

"Uhh…" was all the boys managed to say. Piper took a few steps closer to them, placing her small hand on one of the kid's bicep. He looked at it stunned, as if making sure it was real. I tried—albeit failed miserably—to hide my smile.

"So, a few of my friends I are trying to… you know, help the planet and stuff. You guys think you could help us out?" she purred. They all nodded, looking like bobble heads on a little too much caffeine. Piper weaved her way through the group, pressing the brochures into their waiting hands. They mumbled a small agreement.

"Thanks guys," Piper whispered seductively. I suddenly had the urge to run up and kiss her, but I resisted. _Snap out of it, Jason._ I scolded myself.

The guys stumbled away, looking as if they didn't really want to leave. Piper and I watched their backs get smaller and smaller until she finally turned to me.

"You were saying?" she asked. A small smile traced itself on my lips. I walked up to her and wrapped my arms around her waist, not sure where the extra confidence had come from.

"Just that I love you," I murmured in her ear. I smirked when I felt her shiver. She brought her warm hands up to my face and cupped it.

"I love you too," she repeated before crashing her lips against mine.

_Maybe this _was_ a good idea, _I thought.

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><p><span>Percy's POV:<span>

Annabeth slipped her hand into mine and led me through the maze of New Yorkers to 51st street. When we got there, she dropped my hand and put both of hers on her hips, looking me up and down. I'll admit I missed the warm feeling that spread through me like an antidote whenever we touched.

"You look good in tights," she noted. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"Like what ya see?" I smirked, twirling around. Now it was her turn to laugh.

"Only you can look good in a banana," she mumbled. I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her close to me. Well, as close as we could get considering out costumes.

"And only you can look sexy in an apple core," I whispered, enjoying her hot breath on my neck. I was about to lean in to kiss her slowly, but she beat me to it—crashing her lips against mine. She kissed me fiercely, as if her life depended on it. I just stood there like a complete idiot of a few seconds before closing my eyes and kissing her back. When she pulled away, we were both breathing hard.

"What was that about?" I asked. She didn't say anything but I noticed her subconsciously throwing death glares over my shoulder, her face still slightly flushed. I turned around and _saw_ exactly what that was all about.

A group of three slu—er, _girls_ were strutting up to us, winking and swaying their hips dramatically. They all had professionally curled hair and faces so caked in make-up they looked like they were cracking. I glanced back at Annabeth. She was clenching and unclenching her fists and I could practically hear her grinding her teeth from where I was standing.

"Hi, there," the middle girl purred when they reached us. "I'm Ashley. What's your name?"

"Uh, Percy," I answered stupidly. Annabeth snorted.

"Hmm… _Percy._ That's an interesting name," she noted, trailing her hand up and down my arm. I swear Annabeth started growling.

"Yeah," one of the other girls walked up to me and slipped her newly manicured hand into mine. She squeezed it hard, preventing me from letting go.

"I like it," she purred. "I'm Taylor, by the way. And that's Beth," Taylor gestured to the third girl who was standing right in front of me.

"What's with the outfit?" Anna asked as if realizing for the first time I was dressed as a freaking _banana._ Ashley was still running her hand up my arm and I tried to squirm out of their reach, but they just got a better grip on me.

"Uh, we're supporting helping mother nature or something like that. Right, Annabeth?" I asked, my voice pleading for help. "Annabeth?"

"Yeah, baby?" Annabeth answered slowly, walking up to me. _Baby? _I thought._ She never calls me that._

"Who's this?" Taylor laughed a little apprehensively.

"My girlfriend," I replied simply. She tightened her grip on my hand and I refused the urge to wince. Gods these people were strong.

"His _girlfriend_," Annabeth spat, now nose to nose with the girls. Finally I managed to break free and I wrapped my arms around Annabeth's waist, sending a message to the other girls and effectively holding her back.

"Come on, Annabeth. Let's go," I told her, pulling her away. But before I could leave Ashley walked up and kissed me full on the lips. They tasted like cheap lipstick.

_Oh crap._

I pulled away fast and grabbed Annabeth's arm before she could do anything that would require any extra paperwork from Grover. I started running in the other direction, painfully aware of the weird feeling of running in tights.

"Don't forget to recycle!" I called behind me shoulder.

_This was _so_ not a good idea, _I though.

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><p><strong>AN: Eh… it was okay, I guess. I just really wanted to get this out to you guys. Hope it isn't too bad. The Jason/Piper part IS kinda cute, so I guess that makes up for some of it. Anyways, bye guys! Don't forget to review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**23. Cat**

**PLEASE READ FIRST PART OF AUTHORS NOTE!**

**A/N: So, I'm going to make this short and quick. Since I don't want to lose any of you guys, I'm letting you know that I'm changing my username to **_DreamingInColor__**.**_** Why? Because I think my current one is boring. And I'm indecisive.**

**Okay, now you don't have to read this part but please do it anyway.**** On my profile, I have a poll going on for another one-shot idea. If you want to, could you go vote? Thanks! And I got my idea from one of those cat-commercial things I saw on TV the other day. It's kind of nauseating how cheesy this one is. I was listening to "Marry Me" by Train while writing the ending, too. Is it just me, or do you guys think that song is just so freaking sweet? I love it 333**

**Dedication goes to **_PercabethAndZebrasFTW_** because she has faithfully read and reviewed like, everything of mine. And because she's awesome and hilarious and a really good writer. Go check her out!**

_**Please Review! CC and Flames are accepted!**_

**Disclaimer: Of course I own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I also have a 2,000 sq ft beach house in Hawaii, and three Mercedes. I have nine butlers all named Steve with beards like Seneca Crane who bring me bacon. I also have a pet unicorn.**

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><p>"<em>Forever can never be long enough for me to feel like I've had long enough with you. Forget the world now we won't let them see. But there's one thing left to do."—Train, <em>_Marry Me_

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><p><span>Percy's POV:<span>

"Hey, Annabeth?" I asked. She looked up from her architecture book and studied my face. I tried to ignore the ants running up and down my spine. In her hand she gripped a cup of still steaming coffee, wisps of heat rising from the mug and dissolving in the air.

"Yeah," she answered. Her voice was hesitant as if afraid of what I'd ask.

"We should get a dog," I decided. She placed her fading gray architecture book down on the coffee colored table in front of us and adjusted her position on the couch so she could see me better.

"What are you talking about?" she questioned, amusement and confusion etched in the lines on her face.

"Well, since everything's finally settling down," she cut me off with an "I hope."

"It is Annabeth. We've been through two wars in the past four years. We haven't had any trouble since Jason's 18th birthday with that huge attack, and that was two years ago," I reasoned. She sighed.

"Yeah, I guess so," she exhaled.

"Anyway," I began, "I think we should get a dog or something. It'd be fun!" I added when I saw her expression morph into one of more amusement.

"Why, all of a sudden, do you want to get a pet? You already have Mrs. O' Leary and Blackjack," she reminded me.

"Yeah, but it's not like I can bring them in our apartment. I'm pretty sure they're a little over the weight limit."

"Percy, there is no way we're getting a dog. It's too much money to take care of, especially with Christmas being next week. And neither of us is home until four anyway, so who would let it out and feed it while we were gone?" Annabeth persisted.

"We could have the people in D6 do it—" I suggested, my voice tilting up hopefully.

"They have a two year old, Percy. I really doubt Mrs. Jenkins will want to be responsible for our dog, too," she pointed out.

"Fine," I sighed. "No dog."

"Why did you want one, anyway?" she asked, picking up her book again.

"I don't know," I admitted, "It just seemed like a fun thing to do."

Annabeth laughed, her voice coating the room like honey—precious and sweet. She leaned over and kissed my nose, provoking red dots to creep onto my cheeks. Even after being together for almost five years, she still made my throat close up and my head spin.

"I think we'll have _plenty_ of fun on our own," she whispered seductively, sending chills down my spine.

"I'm sure we will," I agreed softly. I brought my hands up and caressed her face. They looked so big and rough compared to the perfection of her skin. I felt like I was holding glass and if I pressed too hard it'd shatter. Her eyes darted around my face, soaking in every detail, burning it into the front of her mind. When they connected with mine, I felt oddly exposed, like I was handing over the contents of my soul.

"I love you so much," she murmured.

"I love you too," I echoed. The words washed over my tongue so effortlessly, taking the well-worn path from my heart to my mouth and straight to hers. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile, a perfect crescent adorning her face. Annabeth leaned in and brushed her lips against mine.

_Maybe I should interrupt her more often,_ I thought before succumbing to the overwhelming desire to her kiss back.

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><p>The small living room was bathed in moonlight, painted with a grayish tint. A tall pine tree wash squished in a corner of the room, embellished with twinkling lights sparkling tinsel. The room smelled of cookies and icing and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on.<p>

I silently removed my jacket and tossed it on the couch. I had to stay late even though it was Christmas Eve, so I ended up getting home at around quarter till nine. As quietly as I could I walked to the balcony and placed the cardboard box I had been holding down outside. I got out the color with the heart tag and wrapped it around the kitten's neck. On the tag were two words that had the power to make feel the need to vomit in nervous anticipation.

"Now stay here and _be quite_ I told the small animal. The white, fluffy cat purred softly in response.

"Good," I nodded, stepping back inside. I pulled the curtains closed so Annabeth wouldn't see her present.

"Annabeth?" I called.

"Percy?" her voice drifted from somewhere down the hall. Annabeth herself appeared a few seconds later with a smudge of flour streaking her cheek. She walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I absentmindedly put my hands on her waist, pulling her closer to me. I could feel her chest rising and falling in sync with mine, her warm breath lacing itself in the fabric of my shirt. I was all too aware of the fact that only a few thin articles of clothing separated us.

"Why were you home so late? I was getting worried," she said.

"I'm sorry, I had to stay late," I explained. She nodded and planted a small kiss on my cheek before turning back to the kitchen. I followed behind her, my hands still sweaty from anxiousness about the events of tomorrow.

"What are you doing?" I asked. The kitchen was a mess—pots and bowls and recipe books I didn't even know we had were scattered everywhere and flour painted the counter top.

"I," Annabeth paused to slip on a pair of bright blue oven mitts, "am making Christmas cookies."

She pulled open the door and I saw her cringe from the wave of heat. Quickly Annabeth grabbed the tray and set it on the stove while shutting the oven door. I walked over to and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind.

"They look delicious," I murmured in her ear. They were blue—of course.

"Yeah yeah," she brushed it off. She put a few on a plate and we left the kitchen. I sat down on the couch and three footfalls later she was right beside me, a half-eaten cookie already in her hand.

"So," I said, shoving a cookie into my mouth, "Merry Christmas Eve."

"Merry Christmas Eve," she replied.

I'm not sure what it was, but right then something happened, like a blanket of protection and longing and _love_ was pulled over us. I snuggled in the feeling deeper like a little kid being tucked in by their mom, amour and affection cocooning us. Green met gray and everything else dissolved like cardboard in the rain.*

No words were needed to show it. I leaned over and kissed her—soft, slow and sweet. Her lips tasted like icing and love. After a few minutes we managed to lay down on the couch together, her head resting on my chest and a lock of her golden hair wrapped around my finger. Her head rose and fell with my breathing.

That was the last thing I remembered before slipping into inky blackness.

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><p>"Percy, wake up," Annabeth whispered, shaking my shoulder softly. Her voice laced itself in my dreams, turning them a beautiful shade of blue and gray.<p>

"Mmhhm," I mumbled, albeit opened my eyes. I was met by a blanket of golden hair and the smell of lemons. Annabeth got up off of the couch and stretched.

"Merry Christmas," she smiled. I returned the favor. My eyes drifted to the window; snowflakes were dancing in the chilled wind. Slowly, the events of today slinked into my brain. I swallowed hard. Beads of perspiration leaked out of my hands.

"Come on Annabeth. I want to show you something," my voice shook with anxiety, but lucky Annabeth failed to notice it.

I slipped my hand in hers and led her to the balcony. When I opened the door we were attacked by a mob of snowflakes, each one stinging my skin.

"Percy, what are you doing?" she asked, rubbing some warmth back into her arms. I ignored her and went straight to the cardboard box. The snow cut at my bare feet but I barely noticed it. My hands grasped the shivering white kitten.

"Merry Christmas," I told her, handing her the cat. She was fighting a smile. I was wondering when she'd notice its collar.

She took the kitten with open arms and kissed me on the lips. When she pulled away, she finally noticed the collar with the words _"Marry me?"_ engraved on it. When she read it, she gasped.

"Are you… you're kidding," she shook her head. I grabbed her free hand and led her back into the apartment, glad for the warmth. I took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing,_ I thought.

"Annabeth, I've known you since I was 12, and I've loved you since the first day. I might not have realized it, but I did. I want you to me mine forever and always. So… will you marry me?"

Silence screamed in my ears, every second ticking by getting longer and longer. Fear flooded my thoughts. _It's too soon, _I thought. _She doesn't _really _love you._

"I… I get it if you don't want to. I mean—"

"Yes," she whispered, almost inaudibly. "Yes." She lifted her head and brought her lips up to mine, squishing the cat between us. I took out the simple ring I'd been keeping in my pocket and slipped it on her finger. She smiled against my lips.

And it was even better than the best underwater kiss of all time.

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><p><strong>AN: Oh, gods that was so cheesy. I need to start putting a warning on some of these. I didn't really like the last line, because it's really cliché, but I couldn't think of anything else. So… yeah.**

**Review?**


	24. Chapter 24

**24. No Time**  
><strong>AN: I'm going to start by apologizing. I was grounded for a while, and then my dad broke my computer screen (by accident), so now I have to use his. Because of this, updates will be coming like, 3 at a time and less frequently. Sorry guys. But (hopefully) I'll get a computer for my bday, which is in Oct. Fingers crossed...**  
><strong>Dedication goes to my cousin (who will never read this) because she's always there for me and is awesome even if she hates PJO. (She really likes Romance, so she won't read them because there isn't any Percabeth till the 4th book.)<strong>  
><strong>Disclaimer: There is a reason why it's called FANfiction, people.<strong>

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><p>"<em>Sometimes, just saying that you hate something, and having someone agree with you, can make you feel better about a terrible situation."<em>-Lemony Snicket

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><p><span>Annabeth's POV<span>  
>"Put your cap back on," Percy instructed, his face flushed from the heat, "Get out!"<br>The urgency and power embedded in his voice almost scared me as much as the eight foot tall Telekhines rushing towards us. ... Almost.  
>"What?" I shrieked, sudden worry flooding my mind. There was no way I was going to just ditch him like a wimpy little coward. "I'm not leaving you! Come on, there's no time-"<br>"I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the medal spider-maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on." Percy persisted, absentmindedly inching his hand towards his pocket where he kept Riptide.  
>I knew he was lying. I could see the guilt- and was that protectiveness?- etched in the lines on his face. Fear pulsed through my veins, sending my already crowded mind on overdrive. A drop of sweat splashed on my eye, making it burn. The heat was almost unbearable; I could see the air quivering in the distance. But despite all that, a single soul was plaguing my thoughts like a disease.<br>Percy, the boy I might-but-maybe-not be completely in love with, was risking his life for mine. Again. And even if I wasn't sure about my feelings yet, I knew there was no way I was going to let him freaking _die_ for me. Not now.  
>"You'll be killed!" I shouted to be heard over the screeches of the monsters fast approaching. We had about 40 seconds, if that.<br>"I'll be fine. Besides, we've got no choice," he insisted, Riptide held in his hand.  
>I started to say something but then thought better of it. I could vaguely sense a small part of my brain screaming at me to get out of there, but I wasn't really listening. My vision was overwhelmed with green eyes and black hair. His eyebrows were furrowed in that really cute way of his... I felt my eyebrows pull. If he died, he at least deserved to know how I felt. I had been dropping hints for <em>months<em> now, but being _Percy_ he didn't see any of them. The weird thing is, I wasn't really sure if I wanted him to see them. All I knew was that I wasn't going to let anybody- let alone a ditzy, redheaded mortal- take Percy away from _me._  
>So, swallowing my pride, I did something that surprised the both of us.<br>I grabbed a fistful of his battered camp shirt in my left hand and crashed my lips against his. Hot butterflies flew around my stomach, slamming against its lining and my ribcage. I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, but it wasn't nearly long enough.  
>"Be careful, Seaweed Brain," I whispered before slipping my hat on and sprinting out of the cave. Before I left though, I heard a Telekhine growl something to the others. I glanced back and a lump formed in my throat; the monsters were charging Percy and he had this stupid, dreamy expression on his face. <em>Typical Seaweed Brain<em>, I thought.  
>My foot caught on a root as soon as I entered the labyrinth and sent me tumbling a good fifteen feet. Groaning, I got back up and dusted myself off, ignoring the odd empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. Off somewhere to my right I caught a flash of silver, accompanied by the sound of eight metal legs scurrying across the dirt floor. Sighing, I sprinted after it.<br>It was quite a while— about ten minutes of flat-out running— before what had just happened finally sunk in. My hands shook violently and my breathing became even more ragged and labored. Somehow I didn't think that was from overexertion.  
>I felt the cave began to rumble and I picked up my pace. My body screamed in protest but I managed to ignore it. By now the whole tunnel was shaking as clumps of dirt the size of ovens rained down on me.<br>I ran faster and faster until I realized I had ran _past_ the spider. The tunnel was shaking worse than ever, but without it I'd be lost, so I slammed myself down on the dirt floor. I only had time to register the wet stuff on my face as tears before the contraption flew past me. But before we could get more than ten feet, I was thrown off my feet again. Heat scorched the back of neck as I rolled down the tunnel. My ears were still ringing five minutes later as I lay motionlessly on the floor.  
>I was so overwhelmed by everything it took me another five minutes or so to realize Mt. Saint Helens had exploded. With Percy still inside. But when that realization struck, it made my lungs twist and my head spin, and what made it worse was that I didn't know <em>why<em> I was so damaged by this. He could still be alive, after all.  
>I could feel the tears sloshing around inside me like water in a glass that was unsteady and too full. That's when I let those tears wash over me like a tsunami, with my only lifeboat most likely dead. The tears crashed to the floor, and everything around me accommodated a new grayish tint. My knees buckled beneath me and I gave up all previous attempts to try and stand, let alone walk. Percy was gone and he might not ever be coming back.<p>

**!LINEBREAK!**

"Annabeth," Chiron's voice skipped across my thoughts like a stone. I ran my fingers under my eyes, desperately trying to wipe away all signs of weakness. I plastered a determined look on my face before turning around to face him.  
>"Yes, Chiron?" I responded, wincing at how desperate my voice sounded. Chiron looked tense, as if he didn't really want to be here. I couldn't blame him; ever since I returned to camp, I'd been a monster. I was either yelling at someone, looking for Percy or pretending not to cry.<br>"Annabeth, dear, I know you're not going to like this, but I think we should start considering a burial," Chiron said. He didn't even have to say whose burial, because I already knew. I felt the familiar sensation of my throat becoming the size of a penny and my nose starting to burn. Hot tears smudged underneath my eyelashes, but there was no way I was going to cry. I was stronger than that.  
>"I don't think we should," I said, my voice shaking violently. "We could wait a few more days..."<br>"He's not coming back," Chiron whispered, placing his calloused hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off and took a step back.  
>"He-he has to! He wouldn't just leave, Chiron. He's only been gone two weeks. Maybe...maybe..." I never got to finish because right then my will power crumbled and sobs racked my body. I had finally lost it. Chiron trotted up to be, bent down and wrapped his arms around me. I just let the tears fly out of me.<br>"He's supposed to be the demigod of the prophecy. He's not supposed to die yet," I whispered, then almost to myself, "I miss him."  
>"Shh... I know, I know. It's going to be okay, Annabeth. I'm sure he made it to Elysium; he was a hero," Chiron assured me. But the thought that Percy was even down there in the Underworld sent another wave of emotions crashing down on me. My cries echoed around the Big Houses' walls and eventually bounced back to me to be trapped inside my chest again, making my lungs burn. We sat like that for a few more minutes before Chiron pulled away, his bare arms glistening with tear tracks.<br>"We shall have the burial tonight," he decided, "I expect you to do the honors."  
>I nodded my head slightly and used my palms to dry my face. "I hate this," I mewled. "I hate this so <em>much<em>."  
>His head cocked sideways and he sighed. "I hate this too. It isn't fair," Chiron admitted.<br>I'm not sure why, but when I knew that I wasn't completely alone in my feelings, the burden seemed to lessen. Sure, it was still hard to breathe and the mere mention of Percy's name still brought on a fresh round of tears, but the sun shone a little brighter and a little more light came back into my world.  
>The funny thing was, I didn't even know why it hurt so <em>bad. <em>Don't get me wrong, he was my best friend and of course I'd be devastated, but the pain I was feeling was worth more than that. It felt like part of me had just been ripped away and stomped on.  
>The last line of the prophecy echoed in my head. <em>And lose a love to worse than death.<em> At first I wasn't sure if it was Luke or Percy, but now there was no doubt. My stomach turned when I thought about how I never told Percy the last part in fear that I'd lose him.  
>Looks like that was a total waste.<p>

**!LINEBREAK!**

The strawberry-scented wind brushed across my face, lacing itself in the fabric of my shirt. All of camp was gathered at the amphitheater, a look of mourning drawn on everyone's faces. Chiron was standing right beside me, his presence nothing less than comforting, and beside him was the fire pit. Tendrils of smoke curled up in the air and dissolved in the breeze. Above us there were no clouds in the sky, but the sun still felt cold.  
>"Attention Campers," Chiron addressed. All eyes that were not already trained on him locked on us. "Percy Jackson's disappearance has gone on for so long that we must assume he is dead." I winced at the word <em>dead.<em> "After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors."  
>Shakily I took hold of the long green burial cloth that was adorned with a bright blue trident. I took a deep breath and threw it on the flames, forcing the lump in my throat back down.<br>I turned to face everyone. I knew I must've looked like crap. I could feel my eyes were puffy and bloodshot and I knew my face was blotchy from crying. My mouth felt like sandpaper, but I managed to speak.  
>"He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had," I admitted. My eyes scanned the crowd in one last desperate hope that he'd be there. "He..."<br>And there he was, standing at the back of the amphitheater, a stupid look plastered on his face. I felt a hurricane of emotions consisting of relief, anger, curiosity, and... was that _love?_  
>"He's right there!" I practically screamed, my cheeks flushed. All heads swiveled around and a large amount of people gasped.<br>"Percy!" Beckendorf cheered. Simultaneously, the whole camp rose and crowded Percy, hugging him and clapping him on the back. I saw Clarisse roll her eyes as if she couldn't believe he had the guts to show up after all this time. Silena breathed a sigh of relief. Chiron cantered over and everyone made way for him. I wasn't sure what to feel. All I knew is that I had been so worried and angry and _scared_ this whole time.  
>So I went on autopilot. I let my feet carry me down the steps two at a time. When I reached the crowd I hear Chiron say something about "never being happier to see a camper return," but I wasn't really listening.<br>"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I interrupted. Every camper fell silent. I saw a flicker of fear dance across Percy's face, and I had a strong urge to punch him for leaving me-er, _us_ for so long. But instead I punished him with a hug worthy of Tyson. Hesitantly, he put his arms around my waist and that's when I realized I had been making a scene. Blushing like crazy, I pulled away.  
>"I-we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!"<br>"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I got lost."  
>"LOST?" I yelled, sudden rage surging through my veins. "Two weeks, Percy? Where in the world-"<br>"Annabeth," Chiron cut me off, sporting a clear "_we'll-talk-about-this-later" _look. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities!"  
>I tried to glare at Percy, but my resolve faded pretty quickly. I was so happy to have him back... but it's not like I'd ever tell him that.<br>As the throng of demigods slowly dissolved, Chiron effortlessly picked up Percy and me and placed us on his back. Clutching his fur, we rode off to the big house.  
>I sent a silent <em>"Thanks" <em>to the gods. They had given him back after all.

**!LINEBREAK!**

**A/N 2: Ehh... that didn't really turn out like I wanted it to. Oh well. Oh, and I know in my last chapter I said I'd be changing my name to **_DreamingInColor_**, but that was taken so now it's **_DandelionsAndDaydreams_**. And I promise I won't change this one. OH! And I just made a FictionPress account (same username). I have a poem up, and I'm working on two one shots and a story for it right now.**


	25. Chapter 25

**25. Trouble Lurking**  
><strong>AN: I'm officially 1/4 of the way done with these! At this rate I won't be done till like, December...**  
><strong>Oh, and, well... this one is kinda suggestive, but it's nothing too too bad. It's just my usual perverted-humor thing.<strong>  
><strong>Dedication goes to all the Directioneers out there :)<strong>  
><strong>Disclaimer: I obviously own PJO. I also have nine penguins, two Jacuzzis, an orange mustache, and I'm part of VFD. ...*the world is quiet here. * (Dedication goes to whoever knows where that's from!)<strong>

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><p>"<em>That awkward moment when everyone is silent just waiting for someone to say, 'awkward.'"<em>-_- Anonymous_

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><p><span>Annabeth's POV<span>  
>"Percy..." I warned. "Hand me my knife."<br>"What? Why? Annabeth, I don't even know where it is," Percy groaned. I looked over at him. We were sitting on his bed in his cabin back at camp. Pillows were strewn across the room and he was shirtless due to our... um, _previous_ _activities_. His hair was ruffled and his face flushed- I could only imagine what I looked like.  
>"Then give me Riptide," I said, voice tense.<br>"Why...?" he asked, clearly not getting it. With a quick jerk of the head, I tried to get him to look in the far corner of his room. It was late, sometime close to midnight, and the cabin was only lit by the fluorescent glow of his lamp. Moonlight seeped in through the windows, but shadows thrived in the crevices where no light reached. And in the farthest corner, the shadow seemed to be... moving.  
>Fortunately, Percy got the message. Unfortunately, he took it upon himself to investigate. Slowly, he crawled off the bed and approached the wall, muscles tense. He raised Riptide so it was reflecting some of the faint light into the shadow.<br>That's when everything went wrong.  
>All of a sudden, a certain six demigods came crashing into the room, burying Percy. First came Leo, looking completely shocked. Then came Frank and Hazel who were in mid-laugh, as well as a flushed Jason and Piper. I vaguely remembered that they had all decided to visit Camp Half-Blood for a few weeks over the summer now that everything had calmed down. Finally, Nico came spilling into the cabin, completely passed out.<br>Everyone just stood there, hands rubbing necks and eyes trained on the floor.  
>"Awkward..." Leo said in a singsong voice. That's all it took for me to completely explode.<br>"What the Hades were you guys _doing_?" I screeched, my face burning red, whether from anger or embarrassment, I'll never know.  
>The group muttered embarrassed apologizes and smart remarks, but they were all drowned out by my ranting.<br>"Can't we have _any _alone time? Gods... Jason, don't look at me like that. It's not like you haven't gone all the way with Beauty Queen before," at this, both their faces turned an even brighter shade of red. "And so help me Leo, if you say _one thing_-"  
>"Annabeth, where are your pants?" Piper asked from behind her hands, stifling a giggle. I looked down. <em>Crap.<em>  
>"Hmm... '<em>I heart New York' <em>ones... good one, Perce," Leo grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. Percy flushed again from his spot across the room.  
>"Thanks," he said. "I heard Reyna got a new-"<br>I let out a frustrated groan. "Stop it!" I screamed. "What were you guys even doing?"  
>"Pfft, we were so not just spying on you through shadow-traveling," Hazel breathed, sarcasm dripping off her words.<br>"Wha...?" Nico muttered, still half-passed out on the floor.  
>"For how long?" I gulped, feeling the familiar heat creep up my neck.<br>"Long enough," Frank commented, looking anywhere but at me or Percy.  
>"And man, was it gettin' hot and heavy in here!" Leo exclaimed earning a piercing glare via Percy and me.<br>"Just... leave. Before I gut all of you," I said through gritted teeth. Nobody moved.  
>"<em>Leave. Now," <em>I ordered, my eyes morphing into stormy gray clouds like they always do when I get angry.  
>"Guys, I'm thinking about leaving myself. You might want to go," Percy advised. This time, there was a mad rush to the door, but before they could leave Leo shouted back,<br>"Don't knock 'er up too much, Perce!"  
>"Uhg!" I shouted, slamming the door. "Will we ever get any privacy?"<br>"Well, we have some now," Percy said seductively. He walked over to me and pushed me against the wall, pinning my hands above my head. He leaned down and kissed me passionately.  
>We had only been kissing for about five minutes or so when we heard a whimper from the other side of the room. In the back of my mind, I remembered everyone leaving, except for...<br>"NICO!" I yelled, pushing Percy off me.  
>"Please," he moaned, eyed hidden behind his hands. "Make it stop."<br>"Get. Out. Of. Here!" I accented every word with a kick. Nico finally came to his senses, shot up from his spot on the floor and ran out of the cabin.  
>"See, Percy? No privacy whatsoever," I huffed, sitting back down on his bed.<br>"I guess," he whispered, sitting down next to me. "So, what do you want to do now?" My breathing hitched at his hot breath on my neck.  
>"I dunno," I said. He leaned into kiss me again, but before he could I put a finger to his lips.<br>"Gimmie a sec," I said. His expression took on one of confusion when I got up and started doing a thorough inspection of his cabin.  
>"What were you..." he trailed off.<br>"Just making sure there was no more trouble lurking in the shadows," I joked, coming back towards him. "Now, where were we?"

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><p><strong>AN 2: Short, perverted and weird... sorry bout that. I know it was kinda bad, but I just wanted to get it out to you guys. Review?**


	26. Chapter 26

**26. Tears**

**PLEASE READ UNDERLINED PART OF A/N. IT'S ABOUT MOA!**

**Here is another update from mio! I have a few thing to tell you guys. This was written while listening to various 1D songs and covers. The story is kinda sad, but it has a happy ending. Okay, on with the stuff about MoA.**  
><strong>One: Rick confirmed the Percabeth reunion in MoA. It was on his Twitter. Two: This is a question, but is Thalia supposed to die? I heard a rumor about that... Three: Rick implied in one of his tweets that the end of MoA will be ANOTHER cliffhanger. What's so special about that you ask? Well, HIS definition of cliffhangers are "characters are in immediate danger". *Gulp*. Four: It is confirmed Calypso is making a comeback, as well as Nemesis (Twitter, again...) Lastly, Rick said he got "teary-eyed while writing a scene for MoA". I can only pray it wasn't a Percabeth scene.<strong>  
><strong>Dedication goes to Lemony Snicket because he's such and inspiration to me.<strong>  
><strong>Disclaimer: I really think you should know by now that I don't own PJO or HoO.<strong>  
><em><strong>*Oh yeah. this is set during the Second Titan war, so Percy and Annabeth aren't a couple yet.*<strong>_

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><p>"<em>Unless you have been very, very lucky, you have undoubtedly experienced events in your life that have made you cry. So unless you have been very, very lucky, you know that a good, long session of weeping can often make you feel better, even if your circumstances have not changed one bit."<em>-Lemony Snicket

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><p>"Annabeth. You. Are. <em>Not.<em> Leaving Me." Every word was accented with more and more force. Percy's hands flew across her abdomen, desperately searching for the source of all the blood.  
>"Percy..." Annabeth whispered. Her labored breathing hitched when Percy pressed his hands on her ribs and the blood started bubbling out of the knife wound. A string of curse words- English and Greek- leaked out of his lips.<br>"Punctured lung. Annabeth, how do you fix that?" Percy prompted, smearing the blood across the front of her shirt. Annabeth parted her lips to reply, but nothing but more blood came out.  
><em>"σκατά," <em>he spat. "Come on Annabeth, stay with me," he pleaded, tears slicing his cheeks. "Come _on!"_  
>Suddenly, Annabeth let out a sharp intake of air and grasped Percy's hand. She pressed her eyes together so tight Percy was sure her skin would rip. Her chest seemed to deflate a bit on one side. Blood spurted out of the wound at an alarming rate. <em>Her lung just collapsed, <em>he thought. _No no no no NO._  
>"I'm sorry. I'm so, <em>so<em> sorry. This is all my fault, Annabeth. I didn't see Luke with that knife. I... I love you. I really do, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you this before now. I... you can't die, Wise Girl. You just _can't_." Percy cried, scooping her fragile body into his arms. He buried his face in her gray and blood-streaked hair.  
>"Love... you..." Annabeth gasped, her body going limp in Percy's comforting embrace. A lone tear trailed down her face, splashing the crimson-stained grass with an unnaturally loud sound.<br>Pain racked her body, stemming from her ribcage. The rust from the knife that escaped into her bloodstream wasn't helping the situation, either. Her face scrunched up in pain; her other lung was about to collapse, too, and they both knew it. Percy took her pale face in his hands, his eyes darting across her features, trying to burn the last image of her he'd ever get into the front of his mind.  
>Right then, Percy knew what he had to do. He leaned forward, gently pressed his lips on her blood-caked ones and kissed her with all he had. She responded, but only slightly- she didn't have anything else in her.<br>By the time Percy pulled away, he realized he was kissing the cold lips of a dead girl with a hot tear frozen over on her cheek.  
>With trembling hands, Percy brushed away the teardrop. It hit the ground with a few of his own. But he didn't cry another. It's not that it stopped <em>hurting<em>, or that he didn't _want _to— he would've cried a thousand seas if that meant lessening the pain— but he just _couldn't,_ as if she took the piece of him that could cry.  
>So he sat there in a numb reality, holding a girl that was his everything. He barely even noticed when the dagger buried itself in the small of his back.<br>Pain arched over his spine. Percy only managed to get a glimpse of his killer—it was that Ethan kid who had stabbed Annabeth earlier—before red blurred his vision. He didn't even fight it when the blackness came on.  
>The pain was unbelievable. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. But in all honestly, he didn't really care. At least he'd get to see her again. Percy closed his eyes and with a last shuddering breath he spoke,<br>"I'm sorry."

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><p>So there the couple lay, lifeless and still, in each others arms. When the sun rose that morning, the air was filled with cheers of victory—Kronos was gone. Chiron had managed to defeat him with a lucky blow. But among those shouts of joys grew whispers of the whereabouts of two of the campers.<br>It was sometime that afternoon that they actually found them. More tears were shed at the sight—the two people the camp had grown to know and love so much had _died_ in each others arms.  
>But somewhere in the distance, shouts of joy were echoing through the streets. Although they could not see her, a girl with lemon-scented, golden hair was looking out at her friends, a sympathetic smile gracing her lips. She was draped in a glossy white gown, flowing regally in the breeze. Behind her stood a boy with raven-shaded hair, gazing longingly at the girl.<br>"Wise Girl!" he shouted. The golden-crowned girl spun around and ran into the boy's arms.  
>"Seaweed Brain," she cried, going limp in his embrace.<br>But this time, when they cried, it was tears of joy.

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><p><strong>AN 2: Um… wow. That ending was really bad. And it was short. You know what, I won't blame you if you don't review this. And the chapter before this. I just wanted to get them out to you guys.**


	27. Chapter 27

**27. Foreign**  
><strong>AN: Hello again! Well, I've had some terrible writers block lately, so this is probably going to be pretty bad. I had no inspiration whatsoever. I even had to Google "idea's for the prompt 'foreign'". ****This will be part one of a three-but-maybe-four-shot I'm doing. Halfway through this I got way off track so I was like "screw this. I'm doing one of those multi-thingys." Oh! And I'm pretty sure I got the formatting fixed for this. Let me know if it's okay!**

**Dedication goes to **_AtlantaJackson95_** for knowing that VFD is part of Lemony Snicket's "Series of Unfortunate Events". If you couldn't tell already, Lemony Snicket is one of my favorite authors :) Go read his books if you haven't already! He has a new YA book out!**

**Disclaimer: As of Monday, July 2nd 2012, I do not own PJO or HoO... yet.**

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><p><em>"My accent always works with girls. They like it. I don't know why."- Niall Horan (aka Nialler XD)<em>

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><p>Annabeth's POV<p>

"What's up, Princess," Clarisse mocked, crashing into the seat beside me. I momentarily glanced up from my laptop to see a small, mischievous smile on her face. My eyes slid to the left, sneaking a glance at the crashing waves. The sky was a pallet of colors tonight, and from where I was sitting under the pavillion it cast a golden hue on everything around me.

"What do you want, Clarisse?" I sighed, more than a little annoyed.

"There's a new camper here. Son of Apollo. Needs someone to show him around, and Chiron asked me to ask you to do it."

"Why didn't Chiron just ask you?"

"He was afraid I'd impale pretty boy with _Maimer_," she replied, fingering the spear at her side.

I just nodded. Last time Clarisse showed around a group of 11-year-old Aphrodite girls, and things didn't end so well. Half of them were in the infirmary by the end of the day.

I stood up to leave, but then realized I didn't know where the kid was.

"Uh, Clarisse-"

"He's at the Big House. He should be finishing the orientation film right about now," she shooed me off. I gave her a quick nod before sprinting off in the direction of the Big House.

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><p>"And this is the amphitheater," I explained, leading the newest son of Apollo, *Harry, to the giant area cleared away for our annual campfires.<p>

"Okay, babe," he replied, in a low, husky British accent.

I flushed bright red and glanced over at him. I was surprised that he was a son of Apollo; he looked exactly like Leo. Harry was about 18, tall, lean and had a cute, boyish face, just like Leo. Even their hair was the same; really, really curly. I smiled in spite of myself. He was pretty cute...

I could just imagine the look on Percy's face.

"Uh... Annabeth?" Harry asked, waving a hand in front of my face. I blinked. Had I seriously just been daydreaming about him? Man, I really needed to stop hanging out with Piper and Lacey so much.

"Yeah?"

"Nothing. It's just you've been standing there for like five minutes. Can we go somewhere else now?" I had to bite my lip to stop the sigh from escaping. His foreign accent was really starting to get to me.

"Uh... sure. You know what, it's actually about time for dinner. Come to the pavillion with me?"

"Okay," he said slowly, looking me up and down for about the millionth time. I could feel the familiar heat creeping up my spine, threatening to peek out of my collar. His green eyes locked with mine and his face broke into a huge grin. I blushed and looked away.  
>"Come on. Mess Hall's this way."<p>

He nodded and followed me across the grass. We walked in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a few seconds until Harry asked a very... personal question.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked. He picked up my hand and started playing with my fingers but I quickly pulled away.

"Um... yeah, I-I do, actually," I stuttered, trying desperately to hide the blush.

"Oh," his face fell. "Who?"

"Have you met Percy yet?" I asked.

"Pretty boy Jackson? Oh yeah! He's great. Why... is he your boyfriend?" Harry all but screamed. I nodded my head and could've sworn I heard him swear under his breath.

"Oh...kay. I guess I shouldn't tell you about him and Drew, then," Harry sighed and walked past me. It took a few minutes for that to sink in, and when it did I sprinted up to him. By now we were at the Mess Hall.

"What about them?" I questioned, walking him towards the Hermes table.

"Oh, nothing..." he said, looking anywhere but me.

"What?" I persisted, grabbing his arm.

"Only that I saw them... together at the beach today. It was nothing. He was probably just giving her CPR," Harry shrugged.

"He was what?" I yelled, grabbing the attention of a whole lot of Demeter kids. I glanced to my right and noticed we were passing the Poseidon table. Percy's back was turned and he was talking to... was that Drew? No... he wouldn't cheat on me. Especially with an Aphrodite girl... Or would he?

When Drew ran her hand through his hair, I knew what I had to do. Athena help me... I though. Right when we walked past Percy, and I was sure he could see me, I cupped Harry's face in my hands and crashed my lips against his.  
>I'll have to say, it was horrible. It felt like I was kissing Chiron or something. But it's not like I could let Percy get away with cheating on me.<p>

Harry smiled against my lips before grabbing my hips and kissing back. All of it was pretty disgusting. I could barely bring myself to finish the kiss. Let's just say despite how cute their accents are, foreign boys aren't the best kissers.  
>After an excruciatingly long 10 seconds, I managed to pull away. Harry had this perverted gleam in his eye that honestly scared me.<p>

"Annabeth?"

I spun around and found myself drowning in the ocean.

"Percy?" I winced at how my voice cracked.

"Wha... what were you doing?" he cried, hurt and disbelief laced in his voice. I was just about to start apologizing when I remembered that he had been the one who was cheating on me.

"What was I doing? What were you doing with Drew?" I whisper-yelled, not wanting to draw any more attention.

"Drew... what are you talking about Annabeth?" he exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" I gulped, doubt sloshing around in my stomach.

"I wasn't doing anything with Drew! If you're talking about at the beach today, she kissed me! And right now... well, you know Drew. She was just flirting. It didn't mean anything!" Percy insisted, grabbing my hands.

"Did you really think I'd cheat on you?" His voice became much softer now, and I refused to look into his eyes. I ended up staring at Harry instead. He had an innocent look drawn on his face. He raised his hands in surrender.

"Hey. I saw you guys kissing. How was I supposed to know?" Harry defended. Percy and I sent his twin glares, frosted over with hatred.

"Get out of here. Now," I growled. Harry's face slackened and I heard him mumble something about cats and finding some tacos before rushing off to his table.

Percy and I stood there in a very awkward silence. For some reason, the floor became a very interesting thing to look at.  
>I chanced a glance at Percy and immediately regretted it. He was still grasping my hands, but with a lot less effort now. I gave them a reassuring squeeze, but he dropped them.<p>

"How could you think that, Wise Girl? And then the moment you find out, you run off with another guy... without even confronting me first..." Percy faltered, leaving me processing his words still drenched in pain.

"Percy... Harry told me he saw you guys kissing, and then you two were talking and she put her hands in your hair, and... I thought you were chea-"

"After everything we've been through, I thought you trusted me more than that," Percy whispered. His words were like poison, burning me from the inside out. "And if you'd just up and leave me that quick, then... I guess we're through."

"Percy, I'm sorr- wait, what? We're through? Percy," I never got to finish my sentence though, because just the look on his face shut me up.

"I love you with all my heart, Annabeth. And that's okay if you don't love me. Just... if that's the way you feel, then goodbye," Eyes drowning in pain, Percy leaned over, kissed me once on the cheek and walked out, leaving me standing open-mouthed at the spot where he had just been.

After I got over my initial shock, my eyes landed on Harry. He sent me an apologetic look, his eyebrows disappearing behind his unruly curly brown hair.

Man, I really hated foreign guys.

!LINEBREAK!

*= Yes, I did use Harry Styles from One Direction as a model for this character. And to PercabethAndZebrasFTW ...embrace it :)


	28. Chapter 28

**28. Sorrow**

**A/N: I am so sorry for not updating. We just moved into our new house, and we didn't have any wifi till today, and I've had to help pack/unpack. So, I've been busy and without any way to update lately. But, I did have some time to write, so I have a few chapters ready.**

**And I saw that a lot of you were asking if this was a multi-chapter. I'm not sure if I said this in the last chapter but this is a three (possibly four) shot.**

**Dedication goes to all my new readers. I've noticed I've been getting a lot of people favoriting(sp?)/putting my story/me on alerts, as well as, like, 7 new reviews. Thank you guys!**

**Disclaimer: FANfiction, people. Hence the word "FAN".**

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><p>"<em>If anyone asks, I'll tell them we both just moved on. When people all stare I'll pretend that I don't hear them talk."—Kelly Clarkson, <span>Cry<span>_

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><p><span>Annabeth's POV<span>

Percy was gone, and it was all my fault. It was _me_ who had been irrational; _me_ who didn't have faith; _me_ who _willingly_ made-out another guy. The scene from yesterday exploded in my mind, coming to life with the loud clang of stunned silence and bright flashes of angry tears cutting down my face.

"_I love you with all my heart, Annabeth. And that's okay if you don't love me. Just… if that's the way you feel, then goodbye." He brushed his warm lips across my cheek and looked at me with those beautiful sea-green eyes. For a moment I was lost in them, drowning in the ocean and my only life vest had a tare right above the heart. Percy ducked his head, turned and walked away._

_I wanted to run up to him, to call out to him, do _something _that could fix it, but I was stuck waist deep in shock. So I stood there, my gaze burning a hole through the floor where my boyfriend—er, _ex-_boyfriend, had just stood. Tears crowded my bottom lashes, waiting eagerly to jump. My breathing picked up pace and my hands started to shake. I sent a watery glare at Harry, who just raised his hands in a "sorry" gesture._

_I blinked once, twice. Sounds melted into the background, leaving me alone in a new reality where everything accommodated a slight gray hue. My tongue tasted like sandpaper. I licked my lips and was surprised at the salty taste. Something wet and slimy was running down my cheeks. Hesitantly, I stuck my tongue out again, scooping up the tears on the edge of my tongue and hiding them from all prying eyes._

_But the tears were falling too fast for me to stop. On an impulse I sprinted from the dining pavilion to my cabin. I slammed the door shut, sending a shudder along the beams and throughout the entire room. I tried to comprehend what had just happened. I could only recall snippets; it felt like my brain was flooded._

_Giving up, I slid down the door and hugged my knees to my chest. Tears sloshed around inside of me, staining my lungs the color of tears. I let the sobs take control of me. My body trembled and even my stupid _bones _hurt from the effort._

_So I sat there, weeping and moaning and wishing I hadn't been such an idiot. I didn't care if anyone heard me. I can't hold on to my dignity when it's slick with tears._

_I cried until my head started pounding, and even then I did. Eventually the tears clotted behind my eyes and all I was left with was a broken heart and a throbbing headache. I counted the pulses in my head, slightly comforted by the steady pounding. I fell asleep soon after that, the constant thumps lulling me to sleep like a lullaby._

_I woke up on a tear-stained pillow in my own bed. It was closer to morning that night, but I didn't have the energy— let alone will— to get up. One by one my siblings came to, but I just turned over and closed my eyes, slipping in and out of consciousness._

I shook my head, ending the flashback, but the pain was still fresh. Percy had unknowingly ripped open my chest, got in it and stomped on my heart. I felt so weak, so… _vulnerable_, that it was slightly nauseating. My thoughts were scattered, leaving me to gather them and try to piece them back together again.

The guilt of it all was overwhelming. It pricked at my fingertips and numbed my face. It washed over me like ice water, dousing me to the bone. I shivered involuntarily. _Me and my stupid pride, _I thought. _I just_ had _to show him up, didn't I? _

"Annabeth?"

I jumped out of bed, half expecting Percy to be standing there saying we needed to talk, and that he forgave me. But I had to remember that that kind of stuff only happened in fairy tales where the princess wore in glass slippers and ball gowns. I glanced down at my own feet, dirty from running around barefoot all the time. I looked at my clothes; old pajama pants and Percy's swim team shir-

_Percy. I'm wearing his shirt, _I thought. A wave of sorrow crashed over me and I had to fight to stay conscious.

"Hello… earth to Annabeth?" The voice shook me out of my reverie. My eyes slid upward and saw who was standing there was most definitely _not _Percy. My heart dropped a bit in my chest.

"Malcolm? What are you doing here?" I winced at how hoarse my voice sounded.

What, now it's against the law to go in my own cabin?" he asked, each word glazed over with sarcasm.

"You know what I mean."

"Fine," he smiled, sitting down on the bed directly across from mine. "You need to leave. It's two o'clock. You've already missed breakfast _and _lunch."

No," I protested, falling back onto my bed. "I don't wanna. It… it hurts too much," my voice dropped to a whisper at the end, but Malcolm could still hear me. He sighed.

Annabeth… I'm not one to give you advice on breakups, as I've never experienced one," a course of jealousy ran through me. Malcolm and his girlfriend, a nice little Apollo girl, were doing _just _fine. And here I was, a supposedly wise child of Athena, making rash decisions over petty rumors that ruined ours. "But I know that moping in here isn't going to solve anything."

"I don't care. It's not like he's gonna take me back. I _kissed _Harry, right in his face, when all I had to go off of was a rumor. Gods, what's wrong with me?" I shouted, slamming my palm against my forehead.

"You were being overprotective, jealous, arrogant, prideful, and— even if you don't wanna admit it— just a little bit attracted to Harry," he said.

I sat up and looked him in the eyes. His sparkled with sympathy and love and compassion. I was really glad I had him in times like these.

I nodded my head. "Okay. Let's go."

A huge grin stretched across his face. "You're serious?" I nodded my head again. "What're you going to do?"

I'm going to go talk to Percy. I can't lose him. Not like this. We love each other— _I _love _him_— too much," I declared, still trying to fully convince myself that he still wanted me… still _loved _me.

Malcolm seemed to sense that, because he said, "Have you seen him?" I shook me head no. "He's been a complete wreck. Fell off the lava wall, tipped over his canoe, and _lost _every challenge of _swordplay._ Not to mention he hasn't eaten at all. I'm surprised he hasn't collapsed yet. He needs you, Annabeth. Even I can see that."

I smiled a small, timid smile. My eyes felt even puffier with my cheeks pushed up. "How do I look?" I asked, afraid of the answer. Malcolm laughed. I mean I knew I looked bad, but was I really _laughing _bad?

"Annabeth Chase, caring about her looks?" he scoffed.

"Shut up and tell me how bad it is. In case you haven't noticed, I'm really not in the mood."

"Alright, alright. It's not that bad, actually. Just take a quick shower and change close and you'll be good to go," he assured me.

"Okay. Do you know where he is?"

"Where who is?" I gave him a look.

"Who do you _think?_" I countered, gathering a new change of clothes and my lemon shampoo that I knew Percy liked.

"Percy? Oh, you know him. Sword arena or the beach," he said. Malcolm wished me good luck and got up to leave, but when he was at the door I stopped him.

"Wait. Malcolm?" I squeaked. He spun back around and looked at me with a "go on" sort of expression.

"Thanks. For everything." I smiled, hoping he understood just how much what he just did meant to me.

"You're welcome, Annabeth. Now go get him!"

"I will," I laughed, feeling all my previous sorrow evaporate into the air. "Trust me, I will."

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><p><strong>AN 2: Okay… lame ending and it barely fits the prompt, but that's what I wanted to do.**

**Review?  
><strong>

**_*cricket cricket*_**

**Dang it.**


	29. Chapter 29

**29. Happiness**

**A/N: This chapter doesn't really follow the prompt, but I have an awesome (by "awesome" I mean really chessy/sweet/fluffy) idea for the next chapter so I'm keeping it (I'm doing a four-shot).**

**Dedication goes to **_SeaScare _**for writing the best MoA I've ever read. It would never happen in the real book but that doesn't matter because hers is so flipping awesome. First chapter's not that good, but it gets amazing. It's got Percabeth, action, cliffhangers, betrayal, mystery, great writing and humor. Trust me, it's really good. I'm anxiously waiting for the next update.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HoO or the song "Moments" or Harry Styles (although I wish I did).**

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><p>"<em>Happiness makes up in height what it lacks in length."—Robert Frost<em>

"_I didn't come here to hurt you now I can't stop"—Kelly Clarkson, Already Gone_

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><p><span>Annabeth's POV:<span>

"_Shut the door. Turn the light off. I wanna be with you. I wanna feel your love. I wanna lay beside you. I cannot hide this, even though I try."_ I sung the words softly, the water running through my hair drowning them out.

"_Heart beats harder. Time escapes me. Trembling hands touch skin, it makes this harder. And the tears stream down my face." _I coated my stringy wet hair in lemon-scented shampoo, making sure to put it on extra thick. I let the warm water wash all the sorrow and guilt out of my pours. I was going to get Percy back, simply because I _had _to.

"_If we could only have this life for one more day. If we could only turn back time. You know I'll be, your life, your voice, your reason to be. My love, my heart is breathing for this, moment in time I'll find the words to say, before you leave me today." _Lemon-scented bubbles gathered at my feet. Some of the shampoo leaked into my eye, making me cringe and try my best to wipe it off without getting anymore in. Eventually, I managed to remove enough of the shampoo so my eye wasn't burning anymore.

"_Shut the door. Throw the key. Don't wanna be reminded. Don't wanna be seen. I wanna lay beside you, but my judgment's clouded, like tonight's sky._

"_Hands are silent, voices numb. Try to scream out my lungs, it makes this harder. And the tears stream down my face." _It wasn't until then did I realize how similar this song was to my situation. I needed Percy and I was sorry and I was going to try and fix it. I could only pray it worked.

"_If we could only have this life for one more day. If we could only turn back time. You know I'll be, your life, your voice, your reason to be. My love, my heart is breathing for this, moment in time I'll find the words to say, before you leave me today." _Something salty splashed on my tongue. _Was I… crying?_ I turned the water off and wrung out my hair. Water was still falling off my face. I _was_ crying.

I grabbed my towel and dried myself off, making sure to stop the tears. I had to be strong if I wanted Percy back. There was no way in Hades he was going to see my like this. So… weak. I hated it.

I dropped the fluffy blue towel and climbed into my shorts and an orange camp tank top. I dried my hair some more and left it down; Percy always liked it better like that. I threw a green hair tie around my wrist, just in case. I took a steadying breath and walked out of the showers, feeling refreshed and strong.

Outside, the strawberry-tinted breeze ruffled my newly washed hair, curling it over my shoulders. The sun was an orange orb in the distance, preparing itself for just another sunset. Here and there pink and yellow streaks colored the sky, wrapping the heavy clouds in vibrant ribbons. Gray clouds hung thick and low in the air, like it was going to rain soon.

My feet went on autopilot, leading me to the sword arena. I arrived all too quickly. I exhaled deeply, trying to slow my breathing. I knotted my hands together, trying to get them to stop shaking. _It was now or never. _I took a quick deep breath and ran right in.

Sweat and blood hung in the air. I tried to force the muggy oxygen into my lungs, but it was no use. My eyes scanned the sea of decapitated dummies, searching for the familiar mop of messy black hair and concentrated sea-green eyes.

And there he was, hacking away at a dummy. He jabbed at its side, spun around and cut it in half. He must've been here for awhile; there were only two practice dummies left in the entire place and sweat glistened off his back, his shirt discarded on the benches. I half didn't want to disturb him, but as it turns out it wasn't really my choice.

Percy turned around and saw me. He froze, Riptide still half raised. His breathing was labored and heavy, but I didn't think it was from overexertion. I wiped my hands on my jeans and took a few unsure steps forward.

"Annabeth?" he said, as if he couldn't believe I was actually there.

"Percy? Can we… talk?" My voice grinded the air. He nodded, completely unfazed by my shaky stature.

"So," Percy reached into his pocket, brought out the cap and capped Riptide. "Whadda wanna talk about?" I felt a spark of hope light up inside of me. I had been worried I wouldn't even be able to get him to talk with me.

"… you know what."

"I'm not a mind reader, Annabeth. So no, I don't know what," he sounded really irritated. Percy walked over to the benches and put his shirt back on. He picked up a bottle of water and chugged it in one gulp.

"Us. What happened. We need to talk, Percy," I insisted, moving so I was looking straight into his eyes. It took all my willpower not to crumble right then, but I stood my ground. Percy just stood there, waiting for me to continue.

"You told me that if I didn't love you then it was goodbye. Well, I do love you. And I don't want to break up—"

"Then you really shouldn't have kissed him, Annabeth. If you weren't already cheating on me, and actually did kiss him for why you said you did, why didn't you just come talk to me?" Percy's voice was steadily rising.

"No matter how much you mean to me, which is _everything," _I winced. He sounded wounded and hurt more than ever. My head turned to the floor. There was no way I could look into his eyes now. I could see them in my mind, boring into me, brimming with pain. "I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me. And you obviously don't, so—"

"I do!" I protested. Things were going very wrong, very fast.

"_Then why did you kiss him?"_ Percy wasn't yelling, but his voice was deadly calm and he annunciated every word, which scared me even more.

"Because I was jealous! And rash and prideful and stupid and maybe, just maybe I thought his accent was a little bit cute and I couldn't take the thought of you cheating on me and me looking like a needy wimp so I kissed him! And I hate myself for it! Percy, I miss you. I _need _you. I'm swallowing my pride here, and I'm trying to apologize. Just please, _please _forgive me," I pleaded. A single, desperate tear crashed to the floor.

Percy's eyes clouded, like he was trying to decide what to say next. I didn't move, I _couldn't _move. Finally Percy sighed and said,

"I forgive you."

My face broke into a huge grin and I released a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I threw my arms around his neck and laughed, drenching myself in relief. Happiness came over me like a cloak, wrapping me up and keeping my safe.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what I would've done if—" Percy unwrapped my arms from his neck and looked down at me with pity.

"I said I forgave you. I didn't say I'd take you back." Percy's voice was emotionless and cold and he refused to meet my eyes. Instead his gaze was fixed on my shoe.

"What?" I said in an unnaturally small voice. All happiness seeped out of me, like air leaking out of a flat tire.

"Like it or not, you cheated on me. Now you're asking me to take you back? You of all people should know I can't do that, Wise Girl."

"But it wasn't like that!"

"You. Kissed. Him. That's cheating."

"I'm _SORRY!_ How many times do I have to say it?" I yelled, tears slicing my cheeks.

"I know you're sorry. I know that you love me. I love you and I'm sorry this happened, too. But these kind of things happen for a reason. Maybe we weren't meant to be together. Or maybe we were. I'm just not ready to give you my heart again when you pretty much killed it last time. I didn't come here to hurt you—"

"Well you are! What about me, huh? I know it was my fault, but now I have _no one._ Thalia's joined hunt, my dad doesn't care, I can only talk to Piper for so long, and Luke's still _dead. _You were my something permanent! Do you know how bad I felt after our first fight? The one about Calypso? And do you know how _worried _I was when you disappeared after Mt. St. Helens exploded? I thought you were dead!" Percy cringed and tried to take my hand, but I was on a roll now.

"And then during the entire Second Titan War, I thought you were going to die. But you survived, and we were happy for about two months. Then you went and got yourself kidnapped and _do you know how hard I searched?"_

"Annabeth—"

"Don't 'Annabeth' me! You have no idea what I've been through for you! And I mess up once and this is how you treat me?"

"I'm sorry—"

But I couldn't take it anymore. I ran out of the arena, ugly tears streaming out behind me. I didn't care if he wouldn't take me back anymore. I wasn't going to waste my time chasing after the ghost of what could've been. After running for about ten minutes straight did I realize I had not only run so far into the woods that I didn't even know where I was anymore, but it was raining. Hard.

I thought I heard Percy calling my name, but it was probably just my imagination. So I ignored my instincts— again— and kept running.

Percy didn't want me back. He didn't need me like I needed him, and that hurt. I thought for sure that he'd take me back. It had all been one stupid, messy accident. Didn't he see how much I was hurting?

My stomach pulled when my foot caught on something and it sent me tumbling a good ten feet. Cursing, I pulled myself up to my feet but immediately sank back to my knees again. It felt like my ankle was on fire.

When I managed to get a good look at it, I saw I had twisted it and got a pretty nasty cut. I wrapped my dirty hands around it and called for help, but I knew no one would hear me. I would die out here, heartbroken and alone. That's the thing about happiness. It never lasts long enough to be thoroughly enjoyed.

Suddenly, I heard a noise from my left. I strained my eyes to see past the blurry raindrops but it was no use. The spot was completely covered with shadows.

On a whim, I called out, "Percy?"

No answer.

"Percy, if that's you, please say something," I gulped, shaking off the numbing fear that was slowly creeping its way up my spine.

I looked at the shadow-cloaked spot again and saw a pair of bright yellow eyes emerging from the trees. I could feel its hot, heavy breath from the other side of the clearing. It stumbled out, momentarily blinded by the sudden light. My blood boiled and froze in the same instant.

It gave a loud snort and mucus coated everything within a ten-foot radius. Its horns glistened in a sickly beautiful way from being washed out in the rain. All the monster had on was a giant golden ring in his nose and a pair of dirty, soaked underwear.

The Minotaur.

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><p><strong>AN 2: That was about as chessy as it gets, kids. Girl falls and twists her ankle, a monster comes and the boy has to save her. …or will he?**


	30. Chapter 30

**30. Under the Rain**

**A/N: Here it is… the moment you've all been waiting for… THE PERCABETH MAKE-UP CHAPTER! *cue confetti* Hurray!**

**Oh yeah, a few days ago I went to B&N and there was a truck that their company logo on it, and the company was called Riptide. I practically had to pinch myself to keep from laughing.**

**I just came back from seeing The Amazing Spider Man. IT WAS SO GOOD! Go and watch it, people! It was like, Avenger good. Almost.**

**Dedication goes to the Comcast guy who hooked up our Internet and TV. He really saved me from going crazy from boredom with his mad tech skills :).**

**Disclaimer: I only own PJO in my head…**

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><p>"<em>I'm not sure you know that the reason I love you is you. Just you. Being you. Yeah, the reason I love you is all that we've been through. And that's why I love you."—Avril Lavigne, <span>I love you<span>_

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><p><span>Annabeth's POV:<span>

_You've got to be freaking kidding me, _I thought. The Minotaur huffed and sniffed the air. I sucked in my breath. I wasn't too worried about him spotting me, especially under the rain, but if the thing got my scent…

Suddenly, its head snapped around and I could've sworn it looked right at me. The Minotaur's eyes disappeared into tiny yellow slivers on his face and its hands trembled with barely contained rage. A puff of smoke curled into the air, the raindrops dragging it back down in the process.

My recent fight with Percy still tugged at my thoughts, begging for my undivided attention so all the sorrow packed into it could overtake me. But right now I had more pressing matters than that.

I didn't know how I was going to defeat it. My ankle was swollen and there were a few drops of blood mixed in with the rain, clashing horribly. It burned terribly, which made me wonder if there was poison or something on the thing I cut had cut myself on. I did have my knife strapped around my waist, but that wouldn't do me much good if I couldn't stand up to use it.

My eyes felt swollen and my head throbbed horribly. Above me, lightning forked through the sky, momentarily framing the Minotaur in a pale golden light. Thunder rolled right above us, causing a shudder to slink down the tree trunks and shake the earth.

The Minotaur stumbled, but quickly regained its footing. It must've gotten my scent by then. And sure enough, it started to creep towards me. Heart slamming against my ribcage, I stood up on my right foot only. I unsheathed my dagger, careful not to flash it in the minimal light.

Thunder clapped again, this time only louder. The storm must've been right above us then. The leaves, now a dark green and curved toward the ground under the weight of the rain, rustled ever so slightly on my left. I prayed it wasn't another monster. I didn't think I was escaping this one.

The next thing happened in a sped-up sort of slow motion. I felt like I was watching from plush red theater seats, and not actually experiencing it. The Minotaur charged, so I had to duck. I tried to jump out of the way but I accidentally put my left foot down. Pain rolled up my leg and a steep wave of nausea crashed over me.

I crumbled to the ground, but on my way down I managed to catch some of the Minotaur's arm on my knife, tearing off a large chunk of flesh and fur. It wailed in agony and clutched its forearm, desperate to staunch to flow.

I hit the forest floor with a _thud._ My head slammed against a tree root and I had to fight off the fuzzy white edges invading my vision. The Minotaur turned on me again and lunged. But right before it plowed into me, it was knocked aside by a strangely human form.

"Leave. Her. _Alone,"_ Percy growled, Riptide flashing dangerously in his hands. Percy was wet— which was odd— and his black hair looked almost purple plastered across his forehead in the moonlight. The Minotaur stomped its feet and charged again, but Percy just sidestep him.

"GRAWWWWWWW!" It wailed, charging at him again. This time Percy thrust Riptide and a bright red line materialized on its side. It cried out in pain again and moved its hands to cradling its waist, but the only thing it seemed to do was make him madder.

This time, when it ran at Percy, he stood his ground. I wanted to scream at him what was he doing, but my voice wasn't working right. I watched in horror and then in awe as Riptide impaled the monster. Percy shoved it back with a great force and watched triumphant as it burst into dust on the ground.

I watched as Percy's smile faded when he took in his surroundings. Abandoning his sword, which was laying in the pile of monster dust, he rushed over to me. Percy bent down and looked me over, checking for any serious injuries.

"I'm fine, Percy…" I murmured, my voice sounding even weaker in the roaring storm.

"No, you're not. I'm so sorry, Wise Girl. This is all my fault. Look, you cracked your head and your ankle is swelling. What did you get cut on? A rusted knife? Gods, Annabeth, I'm so sorry. I came out here to apologize and to tell you that I wanted you back and that I was overreacting and now this happened and oh my gods Annabeth—"

"Percy, you're rambling," I laughed lightly. A small smile played on his lips.

"Did you really mean that? That you wanted me back?" I whispered. Percy nodded and picked me up bridal style.

"I've always got your back, Wise Girl. You know that. Now come on. Let's get you to the infirmary. We can talk about it when you're better," he promised. I draped myself over his arms and closed my eyes, happy for his warm chest to snuggle into.

My eyelids started to pull and before I knew it I was fast asleep in Percy's arms, right where I should be.

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><p>"…wake up soon… don't… what's wrong…"<p>

Consciousness was slipping in and out of my reach. My eyes fluttered open for a brief second and I caught snippets in my clammy hands of posters like "Don't let the monsters get you down!" and "An ambrosia square a day keeps Apollo away," before I stumbled and dropped them back into the dark abyss.

"It's my fault… sorry…" That voice was a lot more familiar, but I still couldn't place it.

"Not your fault… poison… be okay."

"My Wise Girl… we broke-up… ran away… back again… I hope." _Who was that?_

"…Not your fault, Percy." _It was Percy._

My eyes cracked open again, but this time they noticed. My vision was blurred with black hair and concerned green eyes. Something warm and firm slipped into my hand and squeezed it. I squeezed back just to show that I was listening. In the corner, an unfamiliar Apollo camper stood, arms crossed over her chest.

"Percy? Where am I?" I croaked.

"The infirmary, sweetie." _Sweetie? _I thought._ Wow, he must be really worried. _I tried to tell him not to call me that, but just then a powerful burning sensation erupted in my leg and shot up my body. My head started pounded and lazy circles danced in my vision from the sudden dizziness.

"It hurts," I whispered. Tears smudged Percy's eyelashes. His eyebrows pulled in that way that I love of his. He tightened his grip on my hand as if if he let go I'd disappear.

"I know, I know. Gods Annabeth, I was so worried. Whatever cut you had poison on it and it had already infected everything up to your waist. Then you stopped breathing for like two whole minutes and I thought I lost you. Don't ever scare me like that again." He tackled me with a hug and the last part was slightly muffled by my shirt.

"Um, I'll just give you two some privacy…" said the Apollo girl. Neither of us acknowledged her, so she just slipped out the back door.

I was stiff and didn't return the hug. I was pretty sure it meant something, but it still could've just been a friendly hug. Percy noticed and pulled away, asking, "what's wrong?"

The conflicted look on my face must've answered him, though. He sighed and picked up my hand again. He took a deep breath and looked into my eyes—and I swore I could pick out six different types of green.

"You've been out for about seven hours, and I've had some time to think. What you said, about your something permanent, well, I decided I wanted that too. Seeing you like this made me realize how much I missed you. But, it's not like things are going to be the same. Not at first, at least."

I nodded. "I know. And I hate myself for screwing everything up—"

"You didn't 'screw everything up'—"

"Yeah, I kinda did. But like I was saying, I hate myself for that. And Percy, I love you. Quite a lot, actually. And as long as we're back together… I mean, we _are_ back together, right?" I asked, fear sneaking into my throat.

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"Then as long as I'm with you, everything will be okay," I finished. He smiled and said, "Ditto".

He leaned in, but seemed to hesitate above my lips and kissed my cheek instead. I thought he was going to kiss me, I _needed _him to kiss me, but he just pecked the corner of my mouth. It was so desperately close to my lips that it hurt.

But before he pulled away, I grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him. He paused, but then kissed me harder. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but when we did pull away our faces were flushed and we were gasping for breath.

My eyes trailed to the window. Outside, the sky was still crying. But they were smaller and less painful tears, because hope and a new beginning had come in with the rain.

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><p><strong>AN 2: And Scene. Kind of a weird ending, but I ran out of steam by the end (if you couldn't tell). So, that was my very first multi-chapter. If you guys liked it, I'll do more in the future. Tell me in your comment if you liked the whole multi-chapter idea, or if you'd prefer the one shots. I'd still mainly do those, but I'd throw in a few like this, too.**


	31. Chapter 31

**31. Flowers**

**A/N: Another one shot, and this one actually follows the prompt. This one is really long and has some of my perverted humor in it, too.**

**No dedications today. Sorry.**

**Disclaimer: Of course I own PJO. Who did you think I was? A girl on fanfiction? Yeah, right.**

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><p>"<em>If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?"—Snow Patrol, <span>Chasing Cars<span>_

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><p>Percy was worried, his palms a platform for the beads of sweat to dance on.<p>

Percy was worried because tomorrow was Valentines Day.

… Are you still there? You didn't run away in fear, right? Okay, good.

To be more specific, it wasn't _just _Valentines Day-eve (because that's what his madness drove him to calling it). This was the first Valentines Day Percy would spend with Annabeth. Last year he was marooned at the Roman camp, which meant that this year had to be even more perfect to make up for it. He already had a candlelit picnic on the beach planned, which he knew Annabeth would love.

There was only one problem. He had no clue what she wanted. Originally he was going to get her a necklace with a silver owl, but then he remembered he was dating Annabeth. There was no way in Hades she was going to wear jewelry. He doubted she'd even keep her wedding ring on all the time. There was no way she'd like a necklace, no matter how much it screamed _her._ Besides, it felt to… mundane to Percy. They weren't exactly the normal couple (far from it, really) and a necklace, no matter how pretty, just wouldn't cut it. It had to be special. It had to be beautiful and wonderful and sophisticated and unique and… it had to be everything that was _her._

He was crashed in his cabin back at camp, staring unfocused at the white ceiling. His hands were behind his head and he had his feet stretched all the way out so they almost fell off the bed.

_What am I gonna do? _He thought._ If I don't get anything, I'll be a terrible boyfriend and she'll be mad at me for the next three weeks. But I can't just get _anything. _It has to be perfect._

Perfection. Such a graceful word, adorned with ribbons and pearls and nothing but the best. It was a daisy-tinted word that rolled around on the back of your tongue before slipping out so elegantly, as if it had been nesting there forever. But to Percy, perfection was more than just a sherbet-tinted sky and sun-warmed skin. Perfection was a tall, blonde-haired girl— no, _woman— _with stormy gray eyes and princess curls. It was lemon-scented hair and smart remarks. It was _her._

And just like that, he got it. The idea slinked into his mind and when Percy found it his breathing increased and his eyes lit up, the mental light bulb shining though them like stained glass. Percy jumped up, reached under his bed and pulled out his old laptop. He clicked it on and the screen shown with light. He blew the dust off and typed in his password. Percy rolled his neck and dived in, the clicks of the keyboard the only thing hanging in the air. This was going to take a while.

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><p>Annabeth wasn't worried at all, her hands brushing away eraser bits off her blueprints.<p>

Annabeth wasn't worried even though tomorrow was Valentines Day.

…Are you _still _here? May the gods bless your soul.

Normally Valentines Day wasn't a big deal, right? Just another Tuesday in the bitter wind of a New York's February? Well, it would have been, except for the fact that she actually had someone to spend it with this year. Sadness coursed through her as the memory played itself out in her mind. She had been working on the _Argo II _even harder that day, trying but desperately failing to ignore all the happy couples holding hands and giving her sympathy-coated looks. But when it was time for everyone to hide under his or her blankets she had gone to the beach and cried all night, her tears staining the sand. In the morning, Piper found her and they talked until feeling returned to Annabeth's numbed fingertips. Piper had walked her back to her cabin and that was when Annabeth really started to admire the girl.

But this year, this year was different. She had Percy back and they were finally going to celebrate it as a couple. Annabeth wasn't anxious or scared at all. She had the perfect gift for him. The other day, while Rachel and her had been out shopping in the busy city, a shiny silver watch caught Annabeth's eye. When she inspected it closer she saw that it was a demigod's old watch; a shield with the words _Camp Half-Blood _etched in Greek on it sprung to life when a secret button was pressed. When Annabeth showed it to Rachel for approval, she had squealed and fell in love with the watch. Annabeth remembered Percy had one like it when they were younger, but it got too damaged for repair. But this was gorgeous and regal and strong and brave and useful and… it was everything that was _him_.

She was sitting at one of the many desks in the Athena cabin, slaving over her newest design for Olympus. For some reason, the leftmost outside arch just wasn't fitting. Her Number 2 pencil flew back and forth, scratching Annabeth's ideas onto the thin paper. She was sitting criss-cross-applesauce on her swivel chair, an architecture book open on her lap.

_Tomorrow is going to be great, _Annabeth thought_. I wonder what Percy's planning? … He _better _be planning something. I am going to kill him if he just blows this off. But he's Percy. He'll probably have something romantic planned, and then it'll go all wrong because some monster will attack us or he'll disappear again. _Annabeth re-tied her hair and started fiddling with the beads on her necklace. _Something always goes wrong._

And of course, she couldn't be more right. For this was Percy Jackson we're talking about. He has the best of intentions, but being the hero that he is, things never turned out quite the way he planned them. But he never _asked _to be a hero. He never _asked _for any of this. Six years ago they had set him on a pedestal and clothed him in a robe with hardships and responsibility weaved into the fabric that neither of them had wanted.

Annabeth tossed that thought away and watched with a smile as the wind caught it and erased it from her worries. She sighed. She didn't think she could take another heartbreak. But as long as they had each other, she knew she'd be alright.

* * *

><p>"Umm, is Annabeth here?" <em>Stupid question, <em>Percy thought. _Of course she's here. This is her cabin, idiot._

"No, she just left with Travis. Of course she's here, Percy. Geez. I'll go get her," Liam Payne, a new child of Athena said, his words dripping with sarcasm. He turned and walked deeper into the Athena cabin.

"Annabeth," Percy heard Liam call, "it's your lover!" Percy blushed. He had liked Liam; he was a cool guy, even if he did have this weird fear of spoons and a love for turtles.

"Liam! Would you give it a break already?" Annabeth scolded her older brother. Liam's laughter was silenced by Annabeth punching him in the gut. _Annabeth really knows how to welcome somebody._

"Fine, fine. I'll stop."

Percy looked down at his feet. He wasn't wearing anything special that night, just his usual ripped jeans and Camp tee shirt. He had tried to comb his hair before taking Annabeth on their quote on quote "date," but before long he realized it was futile.

"… Earth to Seaweed Brain," Annabeth laughed, waving her hands in front of Percy's face. He blinked. _How long have I been standing here?_

"Wha…? Oh, wow. You look great," he breathed, taking in her appearance. Annabeth blushed, still not quite used to his compliments. She was wearing a short green dress and her hair was down, spilling in perfect ringlets across her back. Long silver earrings that she undoubtedly borrowed from Piper dangled playfully from her ears.

"How did you know I was coming?" Percy asked, taking her hand and walking her to the beach.

"What do you mean?" Annabeth questioned.

"I mean, you don't normally go around in pretty dresses at night."

"Well, look who's using logic," Annabeth joked and bumped him with her shoulder. "I don't know. Piper told me that Lacey told her that Grover told her that you were going to do something tonight."

"Glad to know I can always count on Grover," Percy mumbled.

"What, would you rather have had me all sweaty from training?" Annabeth asked.

"You know I don't care," Percy assured her, squeezing their intertwined hands.

"Percy, you're a seventeen year old boy. Of course you care," she insisted.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't,"

"Yeah, you kinda do,"

"What does Jackson do? Annabeth, if he's been getting a little physical lately—"

"Liam! _What _are you doing?" Annabeth screeched, turning on her brother. Malcolm started backing away, his hands raised in a surrendering gesture.

"I was just going to meet Danielle! Honestly Annabeth. If you two wanted some privacy while discussing your… _sexual activates—"_

"DUDE!" Percy yelled just as Annabeth screamed, "Liam!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't be at the beach," Liam finished.

"We _weren't _talking about that," Percy defended, twin blushes blooming on his cheeks.

"Mmmhh, whatever you say, Jackson. Just try not to knock her up yet. We need her for the Chariot races next week." And with and awkward, "See you later!" Liam was off, sprinting for the Aphrodite Cabin.

Annabeth glanced at Percy, their blushes in full bloom now.

"Sorry bout that. Liam can be a little overprotective sometimes," Annabeth mumbled, playing with Percy's fingers.

"Yeah, okay. Just… come on. I want to show you something," Percy said. He folded his hands over her eyes and steered her to a secluded part of the beach where Percy had set up a picnic blanket, held down by a basket.

"Happy Valentines Day, Wise Girl," Percy whispered into her ear, sending shivers crawling across her back. When Annabeth opened her eyes, she gasped.

A light blue blanket lay flat on the sand with a dark brown picnic basked in the center. Candles lined the basket, pulsing beautifully in the setting sun.

"Percy," Annabeth breathed. "This is beautiful."

"Come on, Wise Girl. I'm starving," he said, crashing on the blanket. Annabeth sat down across from him, a huge smile stretched across her face.

"Turkey and Cheese, right?" Percy asked, handing her said sandwich. Annabeth unwrapped it carefully, wanting to wrap up that moment in the little clear plastic instead. Annabeth glanced over at Percy, who was already starting on his second PB&J.

"Thanks," she replied before biting into it herself.

They went on like that, eating and making small talk for another hour or so, just enjoying each other's company. It wasn't until Annabeth had stolen the last chocolate-covered strawberry did she say,

"Close your eyes. I have something for you."

"You didn't have to get me anything. It's just Valentines day," Percy reasoned, but he closed his eyes anyway.

"Of course I did. Especially after last year…" Annabeth faltered. Percy's eyes cracked open and he engulfed her in a warm, ocean-scented hug.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "But I needed my beauty sleep, Wise Girl."

Annabeth chuckled lightly at his lame attempted at cheering her up. "It's okay, Seaweed Brain. I have you back now and that's all that matters."

Eventually, Percy pulled away and Annabeth brought up the subject of presents again.

"I swear, if it's one of those sleep-masks, I am going to kill you," he threatened, referring to his frequent need for naps now that he had the Curse of Achilles back.

"Only if you can catch me first," she countered.

"I will hunt you down and dip you in the Styx—"

"I will _kick your γάιδαρος _if you don't shut up."

Ah, demigod flirting.

Annabeth reached into her purse and brought out the small blue box. She placed it in front of Percy and told him to open his eyes. He obeyed and smiled sweetly at her before slowly unwrapping the present.

"Hurry up and open it already!" Annabeth demanded. Percy chuckled at her impatience and just unwrapped it slower, earning a frustrated grown from Annabeth.

When he did unwrap it, he smiled and slipped on the silver watch. Percy leaned forward and brushed his lips against Annabeth's.

"Thanks. Now I have something for you."

"Wait. Press the little button by the clock," Annabeth instructed. Percy looked at his watch and pressed it, and had to stifle a gasp when the shield sprung to life before him.

"Wow. Where did you find this, Wise Girl?" Percy asked, running his hand along the rim of the shield.

"Remember when Rachel took me shopping the other day? Well we went into this store and I saw that, and then I asked to look at it and I noticed it must have been a demigod's before the store had it. Rachel loved it, so I got it," she explained.

"I wonder who's this was," Percy mused. He pressed the button again and the intricate shield shrunk back into the watch.

"Okay, my turn. Close your eyes," Percy said. Annabeth did and Percy reached into the picnic basked, taking out his computer. It glowed in the moonlight and when he turned it on he had to blink a few times before his eyes adjusted to the light.

Percy clicked a few button and brought up his present. He scooted closer to Annabeth so she was leaning on his shoulder. Percy placed the computer on each of their knees.

"Okay. Open your eyes," Percy whispered. When he saw that Annabeth's eyes were in fact open, he pressed play.

"Percy, what—"

"Just watch."

And so they did. The song _Chasing Cars _floated out of the speakers and Annabeth gasped. _This was the song we danced to on Mt. Olympus last year, _she thought. Pictures of her and Percy materialized on the screen in a sort of slide show. Then the music faded into the background and there was a close up of Percy's eye. He backed away on screen and Annabeth had to stifle a laugh at his idiocy. But Percy looked different on camera, almost as if he were… younger, which was weird, because he didn't look like that in pictures.

"So, um, hi, Annabeth. If you're watching this, then Merry Christmas." Annabeth looked up at Percy, an unspoken question passing between them.

"Was this from last year?" Annabeth whispered.

"Yeah. Well, this part is. I was going to make one of these last year, but I never got the chance," Percy explained.

"—couldn't really think of what to get you, and Lacey really liked this idea, so… yeah," on-screen Percy said, rubbing the back of his neck like he does when he's nervous.

"And, well, I wanted to tell you that I think I love you. Wait, no, that came out wrong. And I know this is a really lame way of saying it, but every time I try to tell you in person I'm too scared and I chicken out. So, here I am, telling you that I love you. Like, a lot. I think I have since Atlas kidnapped you, and then I snuck out of camp to rescue you and I remember how mad Mr. D was when he caught me and now I'm rambling…"

Annabeth snuggled into Percy's chest and laughed. Of course, he had already told her he loved her, but when he made this they still hadn't said it to each other, so it was still kind of a big thing.

"You know Percy, I think I love you too. Like, a lot," Annabeth mocked. Percy smiled and kissed her. "Ditto."

The video of Percy faded out and the song played louder while more pictures of Annabeth danced across the screen. There was one right after they got out of the canoe lake when they had first become a couple, and there was one from the chariot races back in Percy's second year. In both scenes Percy had his arm around Annabeth's waist, but in the first one she was hugging him back.

Then there was a picture of Annabeth and Thalia, and a picture of a 10-year-old Annabeth sitting on Luke's lap. Her face was beaming in both pictures, but her eyes didn't sparkle they way they did when she was with Percy.

Then the last picture came on, and Annabeth had to force the tears back behind her eyes. The photo was recent, not even a year old. Percy was hugging Annabeth's waist from behind and she had a relived, yet slightly dazed expression on her face. Percy was wearing a big purple toga, and in Annabeth's opinion (as well as numerous daughters of Aphrodite and Venus), he looked pretty darn good in it, too.

It was the first day that Annabeth had Percy back after eight months of being torn apart.

"I remember that day," Percy whispered into her hair, "I was so happy."

"You were happy? I was close to squealing with joy," Annabeth said.

The video ended and Percy slipped his computer back into the picnic basket. He stretched out on his back and pulled Annabeth down beside him.

"That was really sweet, Seaweed Brain. Who knew you were the romantic type?" _I did._

"Yeah, well, I wanted it to be perfect. And it was," he concluded, playing with a piece of her hair.

"It was perfect. I was afraid something was going to go wrong," Annabeth mused. "But maybe Aphrodite was looking out for us tonight."

"Yeah."

"I really appreciated all this, Percy," Annabeth thanked.

"Sure."

"Conversation killer," Annabeth muttered. _Why isn't he paying attention to me? _

"Oh, and I'm pregnant."

"That's nice Wise Girl." Realization hit Percy and his face morphed into one of a different expression. "Wait, you're _what?"_

"I'm just kidding, Percy. Gosh. But why are you so distracted?"

Percy sighed and turned on his side. "I'm just thinking about how lucky am I to have you," he shrugged. Annabeth smiled again.

Percy reached back into the picnic basked and pulled out a rose. He handed it to Annabeth and said, "Happy Valentines Day, Wise Girl." He kissed her softly on her forehead and laid back down, holding her in his arms.

They lay like that for a while, completely content in each other's arms. But right before they slipped into unconsciousness Annabeth whispered,

"You know, I really like flowers."


	32. Chapter 32

**32. Night**

**A/N: I don't know if it's just me, or have my recent updates been, kinda… for lack of a better word, crappy? I read over them and I'm like "ew. This is bad and has so many grammar mistakes." I don't know why they've been like that. But I like this one a bit more, and hopefully you guys will too.**

**Dedication goes to anyone who gets this: "I have a fear of spoons." Do you know where that's from? Then tell me where I got that from in your review! Next dedication will go to you!**

**Disclaimer: Uhg… no, I don't own PJO or HoO.**

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><p>"<em>Tonight I can write the saddest lines," Pablo Nero, <span>Tonight I Can Write<span>_

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><p>The night was cold and dim, only lit by the stars shivering in the sky. The air was thin and so cold that it stung your nostrils to breath. Frost was wrapped around every blade of grass and every leaf, making them curve downward slightly from the weight. It held heavy whispers and tended to gardens of shadows, growing them in the corners of every room. And underneath one owl-adorned roof lay a trembling girl, her salty tears crashing to the floor.<p>

Her tears fell dramatically, with scarred hands scratching at her face, desperate for them to stop. But for every drop came another, only bridged by her swollen red nose. She kept her sobbing on a low though, for she didn't want to wake one of her cabin mates.

A fierce tremor ran though her, nearly knocking her off her cot. She took deep, ragged breaths, trying to slow her breathing. Her eyes burned but she wouldn't close them. She was too afraid of what lay behind her eyelids to do that.

Annabeth had just woken up from a harsh nightmare via Gaea. Annabeth always disliked nighttime; that was when she was most vulnerable. But this particular night was cold and hard and _metallic _and she hated it.

_A hero's fate is never easy, Annabeth. I will drag your family into this war and make them suffer. Remember little Bobby and Mathew? I will make you watch as I kill them._

Gaea's words sent darts poisoned with fear through her mind. _She couldn't let that happen._

_And Percy? I will capture him and use him to my advantage. Loyalty is his fatal flaw, Annabeth. I can use him so_ easily_. I'll torture him until he goes mad. Then he'll be my personal assassin, convinced that's his only way out. Yes, deary, I already have it all planned out. My map is drawn; all I need to do is connect the dots. And you'll be a crucial part to that._

_I will make you kill him. I'll make you watch the light seep out of his eyes, knowing it was all your fault._

Gaea had promised her that. She had _promised _Annabeth she wouldn't make it out of this with enough of her heart left to live. In a way, Gaea had secured her death, too. It wouldn't end in the same rush of pain for Annabeth, but you can only live so long without a heart.

The thing that scared Annabeth most about Gaea's words was how _confident_ she was. She acted as if she had it all figured out, that there was no way out. If that was true…

It took Annabeth a minute to realize she had her blankets thrown off her and she was already halfway across her cabin. She froze in her spot, afraid she'd woken someone up in her haste. After five steady snores echoed around the cabin, Annabeth took off again.

Outside, the cold air ripped at her bare arms. Tears streamed out behind her, watering the frosty grass. Her bare feet stung and her legs were freezing. _Why _she hadn't stopped to put on something other than her shorts and tank top, Annabeth didn't know.

She didn't know where she was going; her feet were leading her on autopilot. But she wasn't surprised when she ended up outside the Poseidon cabin, shivering and trying to hug some warmth back in her.

Her fist connected with the oak door three times before it creaked open. Percy's tired face appeared in the doorway. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, took one look at Annabeth and pulled her inside. Percy slammed the door shut and turned to face her, worry scribbled all over his face in black marker.

"Annabeth," he whispered, fear roosting in his throat, "You're crying."

But she _wasn't _crying. She was weeping, which is a whole lot different than just _crying._ It takes everything you have to weep, and while you're doing it, it usually hurts all the way down to the marrow of your bones. But when you're done a good, long session of weeping, you usually feel significantly better. We were given the ability to cry to wash all the pain from our hearts—because it can't stick when it's slick with tears.

Annabeth didn't answer. Instead she ran right into his strong arms. They immediately encased her and he pressed her up against his chest. She pulled him even closer— if that was possible— and let it all out over his navy tee shirt. All the fear and pain and loneliness— it all came bubbling out with her tears. He tried to say something comforting, but he couldn't find his mouth.

"What_ happened?" _Percy whispered, wondering what was so bad that it turned his girlfriend into this sobbing mess. _Whoever did this was going to die._

"Nothing," Annabeth choked on her own words and went into a slight coughing fit. Percy rubbed her back soothingly.

"Come on. It's me," Percy persisted. Annabeth angled her head so she was looking up at his face. His eyes shown with concern and his lips were pursed in that cute way of his.

Annabeth sighed, letting go all. "Gaea," she whimpered. He hugged her tighter. "She visited me in a dream. She… she threatened to drag my family into the war, Percy."

Percy knew she wasn't telling him the whole truth, but he let it slide. She would tell him when she was ready, and he knew that. He led her over to his bed with one arm still wrapped around her shoulder.

"Hey," Percy said, sitting down with her. He brought his hand up to her face and gently nudged it in his direction. She was looking everywhere but at him.

"Look at me."

Annabeth's eyes fluttered his way, but she didn't look away. Her eyes flew across his face, desperately trying to memorize every feature of it. When her eye's locked with his, she felt like he really _could _see into her soul.

"I won't let that happen. I promise," he swore.

"Don't do that!" she screeched, punching the bed is frustration.

"Do what, Wise Girl?"

"Don't promise me stuff you can't keep! You promised you'd never leave me, and now we both know how stupid that was. You can't promise they'll be alright. You can't promise I'll be okay. You can't promise Gaea won't do that stuff to you…" Annabeth faltered, realizing her mistake.

"Do _what _stuff? What did Gaea—"

"She said she's capture you and torture you until you went crazy and then she'd make you turn on all of us and she'd make _me _kill you!" By now the tears were gathering in her hands and sloshing over onto the floor. "Are you happy now, Percy? _That's _what she said."

"Annabeth…" Percy breathed, words crowding his tongue, but none of them seemed to say enough.

"I _won't _let that happen," he said, a shaky determination flooding his voice.

"It's not up to you, Percy! She sounded so sure of herself, like nothing I could ever do would stop her."

"I'd kill myself before any of that happened," Percy assured her.

"That's the point! I don't want you to die! I don't want to do this anymore, Percy. It's not fair," she sobbed. Percy sighed and wrapped her in his arms again.

"Shh… shh, I know. Please don't cry, Wise Girl. You know I hate it when you cry."

"You should've became a god," Annabeth muttered.

"What? Why?"

"Then you wouldn't have to deal with any of this," Annabeth whispered.

"I didn't give up godhood because I thought my life was gonna be all rainbows and unicorns, Annabeth. Sure, I thought it'd get a _little _better, and it did, for two months. And _maybe _we both could've done without Hera kidnapping me, but we're together right now. And I guess going through another war wasn't what I had in mind," here Percy stopped and kissed her gently. "But at least I'll be doing it all with you," he murmured against her lips.

"But what if we die?" Annabeth squeaked.

"Then we'll meet up in Elysium," Percy assured her.

"But… what if only one of us dies? Like Gaea said?" Annabeth asked.

"Then… whoever's alive will move on. They'll start a new life, you'll have a family with somebody else…"

"But I _can't._ You act like I could just forget about you—"

"I didn't say that—"

"But what you don't get is I _can't. _I need you, Seaweed Brain. It would never be the same."

Percy sighed and looked at her with understanding and sympathy. "I know. Just… if I do die, always remember that I'll be waiting for you down in Elysium. Then you can introduce me to your husband and all your little kids you had."

Annabeth smiled. "You know I couldn't do that."

"Please try. For me?" Percy asked.

"If you die, there is no way I'm marrying some other guy. It wouldn't feel right," Annabeth persisted. Percy sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that night.

"That's what I was afraid of."

Percy wrapped a golden lock around his finger and twirled it, momentarily lost in how the light bounced off it and gave it a beautiful golden hue. Annabeth let out a long, shuttering breath, the kind that only come after a long session of crying. She snuggled into Percy's chest and let the warmth drape over her like a cloak.

She yawned and Percy lay down, pulling her down with him. He put her head on his pillow and pulled the discarded blankets around both of them. Annabeth didn't say anything. All she did was smile a small smile and wrap her arms around his back, fingers involuntarily hovering over the small of his back.

Percy rubbed her back and whispered comforts that rolled down her hair and landed in her ears. Eventually, the sound of steady breathing and the occasional snore filled the cabin. Percy smiled and kissed the top of his girlfriend's head.

"I'd never have the courage to tell you this when you're awake, Wise Girl, but I love you. So freaking much. I. Love. You," he whispered. The words felt so... _right, _that he couldn't believe it was the first time he'd

"I love you too, Seaweed Brain. Now get some sleep."


	33. Chapter 33

**34. Star**

**A/N: *Checks pulse* Nope! Not dead yet!**

**So, guys, I'm really sorry about disappearing on you. I know none of you actually care, but I feel bad all the same. And I know I skipped a chapter, but let me explain. I had it written out, all reqdy to go. But right before I went to post it, I accidentally forgot to save it, so it all went bye-bye! I didn't have the energy to retype it, so I just skipped it. I will come back to it— I promise!**

**Just a warning. Since I have no avalible computer anymore, this was written on my mom's iPad, so sorry in advance for any mistakes. And sorry for the overall crappiness of it. I just wasn't feeling it, like, at all. And it's summer, so bite me. (MaxRide reference!)**

**Oh, and I was wondering, would you guys mind if I posted some non-Percabeth stuff? I mean, I'd mainly do Percabeth, but I'd also throw in the ocassional Thalia-centric one, or the Jasper one or the Tratie one. And this way, I can take requests. Let me know what you think!**

**212 reviews. Wow. Thank you to all my amazing readers for taking the time to read my work and actually review it, too. And thank you **_PercabethAndZebrasFTW_**for the 200th review and just for being awesome :).**

**Dedication goes to John Green (who will never read this) because he's inspired me to just... do better.**

**Disclaimer: *Bursts out laughing.* My friend: "What? What?" Me: "They think I own PJO!" My friend: "... HAHAHAHAHA!"**

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><p>Annabeth sighed and curled her fingers over the railing of the Argo II. She gazed down at the sea, the black waves collapsing over each other in a rushed frenzy. The midnight air invaded her nostrils and tickled her forehead. Above her, stars quivered against the chilled black backdrop. They beamed down on the deck like searchlights, illuminating a chair here and a toolbox there. A few wispy clouds trudged across the open sky, momentarily blurring the light from the moon.<p>

The air hung loose and breezy, only brushing her skin for a moment before rushing off. Annabeth ran her foot up her calf, trying to rub some warmth back into her legs. She hadn't expected it to be this cold in July, even if they were sailing over the Atlantic.

She pulled her eyelids closed and exhaled, pretending that all her troubles were riding out on that burst of air slowly exiting her body. Worries pinched at her fingertips and she dug her nails in harder, cutting shallow crescent marks into the wood. She tried not to think about... well, _him_.

Her throat was still numb from the screams tearing at it. Guilt sat heavily in her stomach, almost too heavy for her frame. Guilt from her decision to hide her secrets shadowing her footsteps. Guilt from her fight with Percy clawing at her feet, dragging her deeper and deeper into herself. Regret weighed solidly on her shoulders, and she hoped it wouldn't sink the boat.

But she shouldn't be feeling this sorrowful, should she? She had a right to be angry, didn't she? Percy had changed. The Romans squashed him into a cold, hard mold that didn't quite fit his body, and he had accepted, shaving away at the protruding edges. He wasn't the same Percy Jackson anymore... right? But maybe, instead of peeling him apart, they had added a layer of armor, something new to him that Annabeth just wasn't accustomed to. Maybe all he needed was some time.

Annabeth hated that she didn't know.

And then when she had dreamed about Luke, she hated how badly she had wanted him to just lean in and kiss her. She remembered how the ends of his hair melted into his forehead, how his bleached, mid-day-blue eyes sunk low into his face. And when his pale, artic fingers brushed her arm, she didn't try to smother out the spark she felt inside her. Instead, she desperately wanted to fan it.

But it all just felt so... _wrong_.

_Luke_. Now, the name sat stale in her mouth. He promised he wouldn't leave her. He had tore her heart out of her chest, promising he'd keep it safe, and she'd let him. But there was a tear in his pocket, and somewhere along the way, her heart must've slipped out because now it lay scattered in the dirt.

But once upon a time came along a green-eyed boy who dug up all the pieces of her heart, no matter how far deep they were buried under the many gray-tinted layers of _her_. And he stuck around, replacing _his_ lost peices with pieces of _him_, Percy, like borrowing puzzle pieces from another puzzel to fill in her frame.

But now, that boy was lost, only to live in the wispy memories confined to her mind. Her heart was broken once again, caught in the rough, slender hands of fate. They twisted it and beated on it, never ending, never relenting.

Her next breath came out thick and shaky. She watched as it curled into the air and dissipated, vanishing from sight. Annabeth reached up and yanked her curls into a high ponytail, internally groaning when two strands reached down and cradled her face. She met her forehead to her palms and tried to rub out the oncoming headache.

When she was with Luke, right then and there, _wrong_, it didn't exists. It was only her and only him and unbroken glances abortively compensating for broken promises. But now all she was was wrong, and it was filling her lungs so she can't breathe, can't breathe. And now she felt so barren, drained of everything worthwhile. But what hurt the most wasn't that she knew (oh, she knew) that she was right, but the beauty that some of her time with Luke was good, some of it was special. But now her lungs were folding in on themselves and dropping like a pit in her stomach, adding to the weight of the regret and the grief and the all-too-familiar guilt.

Naked feet padded down the hallway behind her. Annabeth spun around, muscles corded beneath her skin, but relaxed when she recognized the silhouette of thick curls.

"Hazel? What're you doing? Is everything okay?" Annabeth asked, her voice hostile in her ears.

"Couldn't sleep," she shrugged, coming up next to her. Hazel leaned her hip against the railing and sighed, looking out at the sea. Their faint shadows pooled at their feet, curving in and out of each other's. Annabeth nodded knowingly, although she wasn't quite sure if that was the only reason.

"You don't have to check up on me you know. I'm fine," Annabeth assured her. Hazel's eyebrows quirked.

"Judging from the way Percy's been sulking, I highly doubt you're fine, Annabeth."

"It's okay Hazel. I'm okay," Annabeth enforced, the words feeling fake on her tongue.

They elapsed into a silence only awkward at the edges. For a few minutes Annabeth and Hazel just stared at the purple waves, watching the white foam stroke the walls of the Argo II.

The words bubbled behind her lips and slipped out before Hazel could stop them. "He really does loves you, you know."

The words were scratching at her throat, hauling themselves up on her tongue, aching to get out. Percy's insults from their argument had found the chinks in her armour and stabbed her, and she wasn't one to forgive easily. Annabeth wanted to say somethng bitter. She could already feel the sour taste blooming along her cheeks.

"I miss him."

"You say it like he's gone," Hazel mused, tugging on a string of her hair. She stretched it out so it was straight, then let it spring back to its natural curl. It was all so Hollywood, it sickend Annabeth. "You say he's changed, Annabeth. And even though I don't know the old Percy, I'm sure that this one isn't that different. And if he is, you should be happy."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's a pretty awesome guy. And he loves you more than anything," Hazel confessed, a blush forming under her tannned skin. "He's going to kill me for this, but he kind of just told me that."

"He—he did?" Annabeth tripped over her words, suddenly caught off gaurd. Here she was, dreaming of Luke, while Percy was confessing his love for her to a thirteen-year-old girl?

"Yeah. He thinks he's someone else now, that you were right. He's scared, Annabeth, even if he won't admit it." Hazel chided, reminding Annabeth all too much of the mother she never had.

Hazel scattered her hand through her hair before sweeping it to the side, out of her face. Silence slammed against their eardrums. Hazel exhaled through her nose and tugged her eyes shut, her eyelashes forming thin black triangles on her cheeks.

"He needs you, Annabeth."

Annabeth parted her lips. They were so dry, they stuck together at the edges. The frigid air burned her teeth, so she shut her mouth. For the first time in a long time, Annabeth was at a loss for words.

"Yeah, he does."

Both girl's heads snapped to the side. Even after everything they've been through, the sound of his voice still sent violent shivers arcing down her spine.

Percy was standing a few feet away, both hands stuffed in sweat pant pockets. His hair was ruffled as if he'd been standing in front of a fan for the past few hours. Purple shadowed his cheekbones, making him look even older in the dwindling moonlight.

"I'm just gonna leave you two alone—" Hazel said, curling around the corner.

Percy stepped up beside Annabeth and stared at her before speaking. Annabeth fidgeted under his hot gaze, not wanting to meet his eyes and see the hatred lining his irises."I'm sorry."

Annabeth was so surprised she had to stop herself from spluttering. "Sorry for what?"

"For not being what you expected. For leaving you in the first place. For fighting. I'm... I'm sorry. Hazel's right. I need you," Percy apologized, his silent eyes slipping to the water, which was undoubtedly easier to focus on. Well, it was for her, anyway. The breeze dropped her hair, draping it heavily across her shoulders.

"I'm sorry for the war. I'm sorry that your life sucks so much right now. I'm sorry there's a good chance that only one of us will come out alive. I'm just... sorry," Percy's voice was pushed higher and higher by the grief until it cracked, smothered by the weight of it.

Annabeth had a boyfriend who was apologizing for being a hero. She didn't deserve him. She desperately wanted him to fold her in his arms and whisper in her ear, but she knew better. Love is a messy thing, and it can change a person, for better or for worse she did not know.

Instead, she looked to the stars for comfort. Annabeth tilted her head to the sky, the color now resembling a fading bruise. They were still twinkling, though every so often one would give way to the light before flickering back into view. They weren't exactly steady— not exactly the solidity that she so desperately craved— but they were there, a bit like Percy (who was always, undeniably _there_), and she wondered if that was enough.

Annabeth wanted to bite back with a curse, something to let him know that she didn't care that he was sorry, she just wanted it to stop. She could feel her lips rounding, the words teetering on the edge of her teeth. For the second time that night she wanted to scream until the tears came and lodged the screams in her throat, so she would choke and just finally die.

"Yeah, well, that does a whole lot, doesn't it?" Amnabeth snapped, rounding on Percy. She knew she was wound tight, stretched over her problems like a rubber band, waiting to break.

"Excuse me?" Percy askesd, disbelief laced in his tone. His green eyes were streaked with blue, a hot-tipped fire burning inside of them.

"You being sorry. That just changes everything, right?"

"Well I'm sorry for trying to comfort you—"

"I don't want your pity, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, frustrated by the steely calmness ofhis voice.

"I'm not giving you any pity, Annabeth. I'm giving you my reassurance," he placed a careful hand on her elbow, and she didn't try to shake it off. His fingers pressed into the bend of her arm, so unlike Luke's, that a smile played at the edges of her frown.

"I... I just..." Annabeth faltered, drowning in his sincerity. She felt the familiar sensation of her nose burning and she could feel the pressured tears bubbling up inside her cheekbones.

The tension between them snapped like a branch breaking, her rubberband facade falling with it, and it only took a heartbeat for him to wrap her in his arms and place his chin on her head. Annabeth closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, the salty waves closer than ever before. His warmth provided a foreign comfort, a steady, pulsing blanket closing her in from the rest of the world.

She could feel his hand slip under her hair and she trilled with a short laugh when he fumbled with her ear. Annabeth pressed her cheek closer to his chest, all too aware of the thin skin of fabric separating them. She counted the layers— only two— that seperated _just her_ and _just him._

His heart stretched out to her with every thump. It was beating so fast it barely even sounded like a heartbeat, more like a low, obstinate hum. It had been a long time— exactly Way Too Long, Annabeth decided— since he'd held her like that, so sure of everything? And for a moment she forgot about the war and Luke and surrendered her troubles to the all-knowing stars above, sinking below the skyline from the weight of it. She let herself get swept away by his breath, skimming the top of her hair.

And for a moment, a blissful, ignorant moment, all Annabeth could feel was the hideous illusion of hope.

Because without hope, like the sliver of light that peeks in through our blinds at midnight, gracing the darkness with an ounce of relief, there can be no real despair. If there was no Better Than This, then hope would shrivel up and die like a poisoned weed and the effect of the terribleness just wouldn't be the same, wouldn't be as satisfying. But with hope, well... hope changes everything.

Her stomach pinched painfully at the thought of losing him. She clings to hope, to all that he is, like he's her life vest and she's in the middle of the ocean and she's sinking, drowning.

Annabeth angled her head towards his, tears smudging under her eyes. The breath between their faces was hotter than the rest, and they leaned in so his breaths became muddled with hers. Annabeth noticed how close they were, nearly nose-to-nose, and more importantly, lip to lip. She struggled not to measure the shrinking space between them.

He fit his lips to hers— proudly, like he used to— just as the stars finally fell from the the sky. The weight of the troubles of the world dripping off their shoulders, they landed somewhere below the cotton-candy horizon. Annabeth broke apart and pressed her forehead to his, grateful for the dry coolness of it.

And Annabeth realized, that, like the stars, Percy would always be there, even if she couldn't see him.

_Always._


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: All That I Have**

**A/N: Okay, okay, I know I said I'd be back before 2013. (Happy New Years, everybody!) Please don't throw things at me. I have been incredibly busy lately, and I've frequently been getting sick (5 times in the past month), so I've literally had no time whatsoever to sit down and write at all, let alone to write fanfiction. I'm hoping to update every Thursday night from now on, since I got my own computer for Christmas. This is pretty much a pointless chapter that I wrote in 2 go's at midnight, so hopefully it isn't too bad.**

**Also, ****I'm only going to go up to fifty one-shots for this story****. See, while attempting (and failing horribly) at doing NaNoWriMo this year, I realized I have no writing stamina at all; so, ****I decided I'd try to do a HoO fic**** to help me out with that.**

**Anyway, what's been going on with you guys? I've been OBSESSED with Beautiful Creatures, P!ATD, and TMI series. I'm only on the 4****th**** Mortal Instruments book though. So if any of you have read these (or listen to P!ATD), feel free to PM me! I'd rant about them here, but this AN is already getting kind of long.**

**You guys know I have a Tumblr, right? If you have one too, follow me! (Link's on my profile page.) We can talk and be besties. And if you don't have a tumblr… get one. I swear you'll love it.**

**Dedication: This dedication goes to my English teacher, because even though she's crazy, she's the only person I've met who has read John Green before.**

**Disclaimer: nope.**

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><p><em>"Since the first time I saw you, I have belonged to you completely."—Cassandra Clare, <em>_City of Glass__  
><em>

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><p>Some darkness was cold, Annabeth realized, and heavy and damp and so much more than just a lack of light. Annabeth tried to blink away the darkness, but it stuck to her eyes like a thick film. She felt something heavy and wet on her eyelashes, running down the side of her nose, over her lips, down her throat. I'm crying, she thought, as if to assure herself that she was still hydrated enough to even produce tears. Annabeth lifted a dirty hand to her face to wipe them off. She shook her head and kept running.<p>

A falling sensation tore through Annabeth's stomach and suddenly she was lying face-first on the ground, her broken ankle throbbing viciously. Annabeth swore under her breath and sat up, a wave of nausea pulsing through her like a heartbeat, matching the one in her ankle. Annabeth gritted her teeth to keep from crying out in pain and stood up. Now she was moving at a much slower pace; it was more like a limp than a run.

During the last monster attack, in the middle of all the blood and sweat and glowing swords and flashing teeth, Percy and Annabeth had been separated. When she called out to him, he hadn't responded, and she couldn't see the glow from Riptide anymore. So, she set off running blindly through the dark, desperately searching for him and praying to all the gods that he wasn't dead;_ please don't be dead._

"Anna… Annabeth," a voice whispered, weak and cracking, fragile as a shard of glass. Annabeth whirled, her dagger glowing in her hand.

"Who's there?" she called out, her voice icy with hostility. After all, glass wasn't always that fragile; it could cut and kill.

"Annabeth… it's me. Percy," said the voice again. Annabet's breath caught in her throat; she struggled to push down a sob of relief. Her eyes blurred the darkness with the faint glow of her dagger and her nose stung. _What's wrong with you, Annabeth? Stop crying._

"Where are you?" called Annabeth, turning in a circle. Her foot caught on something—someone, she realized with a shock—and she hardly had time to steady herself so she didn't fall over again.

"Percy," Annabeth whispered, her voice scratchy and raw against her throat. She dropped to her knees beside Percy and shook him, hard, his head bumping against her knees. "Percy, answer me!"

Annabeth ran her hands over her boyfriend's abdomen, remembering where the monster had gotten him, stopping short when her fingertips touched something wet. She pressed her hands down on the spot, her stomaching lurching when her fingers got caught in the wound. It had taken Annabeth a long time to find Percy; exactly too long, she decided, feeling his blood soaking into her shorts. Percy made a strangled, choking sound in the back of his throat.

"Shh," said Annabeth, brushing her bloody fingers over the ground where she was sitting next to Percy, searching for Riptide. "It'll be okay. I just have to find your stupid sword."

"In… my pocket." Percy's back arched off the rough ground as he coughed. Annabeth touched her fingertips to his lips, getting dizzy when she felt the blood spilling onto them.

"Thanks," Annabeth mumbled, too distracted to say anything else. Slipping her hand into his jean pocket, Annabeth pulled out Riptide. She held the sword out in front of her and quickly removed the cap, not wanting to cut herself. Riptide elongated in her hands until she was holding a long bronze sword, its glow casting dim shadows all around them.

Percy looked even worse than she had imagined. Small cuts and large, purple bruises littered his arms and cheeks. His lip was split and stained red with blood. Percy's black hair looked almost purple in faint light, and it was plastered to his forehead and neck with sweat. His orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt was ripped in several places, the hem turned crimson with blood. Or at least that's what Annabeth thought it was. It could've easily been some kind of monster goop, since Percy's blood looked black in the bronze glow of the sword.

Annabeth reached forward and pushed his shirt up to his neck. She held Riptide over his stomach and held in a gasp; there was a deep, long gash just above the waistband of his jeans, stretching all the way across his waist. The wound was wide; it ended just below Percy's bellybutton. Dark blood spilled over onto his stomach and his jeans. Annabeth let out a string of curses, sometimes in English and sometimes slipping into Greek. Her head felt fuzzy, lazy circles spinning behind her eyelids. Her lungs burned and she gasped, but it was like the air had turned to oil. Annabeth wondered if this was what people who were dying of asphyxiation felt like. Her heart thudded against her ribcage, and for a moment she was afraid she'd break a rib.

Annabeth reached behind her, grabbing her backpack. When she and Percy had first arrived in Tartarus, they had met a somewhat friendly and definitely psychotic dracane who gave them food, water, and a few supplies before Percy killed her. She'd wanted to keep them as prisoners. Annabeth shuddered at the memory. Now, rummaging through their limited supplies, Annabeth wished they'd taken more with them. She pulled out their plastic water bottle, some nectar, ambrosia and a roll of white gauze.

Annabeth held the water bottle up close to her face. They were running dangerously low, she thought. She would have to use it all on Percy. With shaking hands and numb lungs, Annabeth uncapped the water and gently poured it over Percy's wounds. He tensed at first, and she was about to apologize but then his shoulders relaxed and he sighed.

"That feels better," said Percy, reaching out a hand and stroking Annabeth's forearm. "Is this the part where you take off your shirt to use as a tourniquet?"*

Ignoring him, Annabeth said, "Don't talk. You'll just wear yourself out." Annabeth tore off a square of ambrosia and stuffed it in his mouth. "Eat that."

Annabeth picked up the nectar and uncapped the bottle. She glanced over at Percy. "This might," Annabeth started pouring the nectar over Percy's wound, "sting a little."

"What do you—" Percy cursed loudly. "Gods, what _is_ that?"

"It's just nectar," said Annabeth, already tearing off a strip of gauze. She smeared some of the nectar on the bandage for good measure. "Your wound's just so deep that it hurt when I poured it on." Annabeth wrapped the gauze around Percy's stomach until she couldn't see the blood soaking through anymore. He grunted as she helped him put his head in her lap.

They sat like that for a while (or at least Annabeth _figured_ it was a while. For all she knew, two minutes could've passed in reality. Time didn't exactly follow the same rules in Tartarus), Percy with his eyes closed and Annabeth brushing her blood-stained fingers through his matted hair, over the shadows under his eyes, the arches of his smile. Annabeth thought about how much she loved the curves of his hands, the lines of his lips, the tips of his hair. When you fell in love with someone, she thought, you fell in love with the sound of their voice, the shape of their lips and the scars on their hands.

Annabeth thought about her and Percy, and like whenever she thought about them, she thought of how it was her Building Something Permanent. But lately, Annabeth had wondered if _anything _she did could be truly permanent. Who was she, one out of seven billion people, to be so strong as to impact the universe? The universe didn't want her. Gods, her own _mother _didn't even want her.

"I hate this. Being so… so _temporary," _said Annabeth, startling both Percy and herself.

"What?" Percy mumbled, his voice weak. But it was a tired kind of weak, and not a oh-no-I'm-going-to-die kind of weak that comforted Annabeth.

"I hate all of this, just life in general, going through all this _torture; _and for what? In 100 years, who's going to know what we've gone through? I've told you this; all I want is to build something _permanent."_

"You have something permanent," Percy tightened his fingers around Annabeth's, braiding them together even tighter. "We're permanent. And if you're looking for something bigger, well, even though we're all ephemeral, it doesn't mean we're unimportant. So maybe we can't last forever. But we're significant. Isn't that enough?" Annabeth tried to think of something intelligent to say back, but it felt as if her brain was frozen—it felt numb. Her whole _body _felt numb. She just nodded.

Finally, she regained her voice. "Ephemeral, wow. Big word," Annabeth teased, and he could hear the grin in her voice.

"Yeah. Maybe I should stop hanging around you so much; it's starting to rub off." Annabeth laughed. But it was small and weak and a laugh that shouldn't belong to a sixteen year old girl. Hearing the pain and the suffering in her voice sent a cold rush of sadness down Percy's spine. Percy closed his eyes and breathed in, savoring the smell of Annabeth and sweat and stale air—all tainted by the blood. Percy coughed, his hands automatically flying to his wound. In the minimal light from Riptide, Annabeth could see the dark red spot seeping through the bandages.

"Annabeth," said Percy, "I love you."

Annabeth's head felt dizzy. "Don't say that," Annabeth shook her head fast and blinked fast, her heart beating fast and her head spinning faster. She knew what he was really saying- _goodbye, I'm sorry for dying. _"Don't say it as a goodbye. You're going to be fine."

"I wasn't saying it as a goodbye, Annabeth. I was saying it as a fact. I love you, and I want you to know it, because no matter what you say, there's a hell of a good chance that one of us isn't going to make it out of here alive. And I don't care what you say; I love you; I will love you until forever ends, and after that, I will continue to love you even more."

Annabeth shut her eyes tight, tight, tight, sealing in the tears and the emotions. She took deep, trembling breaths, trying desperately to steady herself. Get a grip, she thought.

Suddenly, there was a pair of lips on hers. Annabeth gasped, half in surprise and half in pleasure and melted into the feeling of his lips on hers. Catching her lower lip in between his, Percy's whole body shook. He pressed closer to her, his hands holding the back of her neck, not even caring about the searing pain in his stomach.

Annabeth wasn't sure if kissing was supposed to feel that intense, like she was giving up all that she had, or if intense was just how they worked, but either way, she couldn't get enough of it, of kissing, of him. Percy mumbled against her lips when she kissed him back; it was driving her crazy. She kissed him harder, forcing his lips apart under the pressure.

"I'm all yours," Percy whispered against her cheek, his kisses trailing from her ear, along her jaw and stopping at the corner of her bloody lips. "I'll always be yours," he promised.

"Percy."

"I love you, Annabeth. Gods—more than I probably should. It's scary what I'd do for you." Percy leaned back, placing a lingering kiss on her forehead. He gripped her by the elbows, his warm hands resting in the creases.

"What?" Annabeth asked, wondering why he had stopped so suddenly. She looked at his face and noticed the pain in his shining green eyes. "Hey, are you okay?" she said gently.

"Yeah," he grunted out, "just…" Percy moved a hand to his stomach, "nothing; it's nothing." He leaned forward as if to kiss her again.

"I think that's enough for now," said Annabeth. A flash of disappointment showed on Percy's face, but it was gone so fast Annabeth wondered if she had imagined it. "Besides, I'm tired. Will you take first watch?"

Percy nodded silently, watching Annabeth with intense eyes as she curled up on the ground, her head resting beside his legs. She looked back at him—really looked at him—for what felt like the first time in years. She noticed subtle differences and felt a pang of sadness when she realized they had been apart so long that she'd missed these changes. Percy's face was longer and slightly older-looking. His eyes had gotten greener and his hair darker, maker the contrast between the two almost startling.

"Goodnight," Annabeth whispered, letting her heavy eyelids droop to rest against her cheeks. She felt a warm hand graze over her hair, and she smiled.

"Night, Wise Girl."

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><p><strong>AN 2: Did anybody else really hate that, or was it just me? Sorry, but I'm kind of rusty… it might be like this for a while. Anyway, the purpose of this second A/N was to assure ever TMI reader that the sentences with the asterisks I did not get from those books! I wrote the, before I read it. I swear. I know that if I didn't put this, I was bound to get someone accusing me of copyright. Anyway, I hope you all have had a wonderful few months. Don't forget to review! (Oh, and if you want to give me some ideas… please do. I can't think of anything.)**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: Pain**

**A/N: Hello there, peoples. Yeah, I know this is like a week late, but life happened. And I didn't proof-read this, so sorry for any mistakes and I apologize in advance for the weird ending. I had no clue how to end it.**

**Anyway, if you didn't already know, Rick tweeted this absolutely horrible post where he said the song Hold On was perfect for the Percabeth scene he was writing. Basically, the song talks about a person not having the will to go on anymore. (Yeah; some pretty depressing stuff.) And, well… I couldn't help myself; I wrote what I thought would happen.**

**You're welcome?**

**Dedication goes to Rosi Golan, because her song Hazy is amazing and it screams Percabeth and was the inspiration for this and like 13784 other things.**

**Disclaimer: These things are really, really starting to get on my nerve. Um, no, I am not Rick, and I don't think anyone thought I was.**

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><p><em>"What if I fall, and hurt myself; would you know how to fix me? What if I went and lost myself; would you know where to find me? If I forgot who I am, would you please remind me? 'Cause without you, things go hazy."—Hazy, by Rosi Golan ft. William Fitzsimmons<em>

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><p>Percy sighed deeply, a groggy, just-falling-into-sleep sigh, and turned his head so his nose and forehead were pressed up against Annabeth's thigh. Annabeth froze, seeing his eyes twitch under his closed eyelids, the only other things moving being the rise and fall of Percy's chest and her own nausea rolling through her stomach. Annabeth took a deep, sharp breath and quietly moved away from Percy.<p>

Annabeth swept her dirty hair back, desperately wishing for a hair tie, for _something. _She groaned inwardly and chided herself for wanting such insignificant things. Annabeth bent her head into her cupped hands and tried to rub out the throbbing headache.

Annabeth touched her dagger and held it over Percy's body so she could see him in the dim bronze glow the blade provided. Percy's face was peaceful and youthful in sleep, his too-long, matted black hair falling into one eye. His battered arms were folded across his stomach. Bruises and scrapes dotted his skin, but Annabeth's eyes only skimmed over those and were drawn to a more prominent wound.

Percy's waist was encased in their last bandage, dark blood already visible through the thin gauze. It was better now, _he _was better, but Annabeth still remembered finding him dying and alone in the dark, seeing the thick, jagged cut across his wait. At the thought, Annabeth felt a cold slide down her spine, like someone was blowing cold air on her neck.

Annabeth fingered her dagger, feeling the cold of the metal sink into her skin. That was one of the worst things about being in that place. It was always so _cold. _The cold and the dark stuck to Annabeth like an ugly, slutty tattoo, always, always there.

Annabeth's limbs ached, her headache was horrible and she was so, _so hungry. _Her ankle was still broken, her left elbow horribly out of place and her throat burned from screaming and yelling and dehydration.

And Percy… was dying. There was no point in denying herself the simple, if not horrible, truth. Annabeth wasn't much better off. When was the last time she had eaten anything? Drank anything? Annabeth wasn't any daughter of Apollo, but she knew what blood poising looked like, and Annabeth had the sneaking suspicion that the bright red line leading straight to Percy's heart wasn't a cut. She also thought that maybe her headaches and dizziness had something to do with the hit she had taken to the back of the head a few hours ago.

Her dagger suddenly felt heavy in her hands. _What was the point anymore? Percy's dying and I'm doing nothing but slowing him down. It's my fault we're here in the first place._

Annabeth shakily stood up, fighting off the headache and nausea and the rush of color that temporarily blinded her. She looked over at Percy one last time, but this time she could only see his silhouette. She desperately wanted to see his face, but she didn't dare. She couldn't afford to lose her nerve.

_Maybe I could make it look like a monster did it, _she thought. _Maybe he wouldn't know the difference._

_Maybe he wouldn't care, _a nasty voice in the back of Annabeth's head snarled. She squeezed her eyes tight, her mouth tight, her whole face tight, like scrunching up her features could somehow banish the terrifying, crippling doubt.

The tip of the blade pressed against her heart, Annabeth shut her eyes and tried to slow her heavy, ragged breathing. _Just one move. A slip of the hand would do it._

An image of Percy's face—his smiling, pleasant face, not his dying, blood-stained one— was burned into her mind. She remembered what he had told her, _"We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again." _Guilt pooled in her lungs like toxin, deadly and making Annabeth gasp for breath.

"I'm sorry, Percy," she whispered. It was so quiet, Annabeth wasn't even sure if she had said it. She remembered the way he looked when he told her he would give her a Something Permanent, that he would be her's forever and always.

But he wasn't always there, because that was impossible. Percy was training or at school or stuck in traffic or, more recently, acting as an amnesic halfway across the country or off in battle. And there would be a time when he would be dead and gone and she would need him, but he wouldn't be there because nothing is ever for always. She had been so stupid to believe otherwise. But sometimes it's hard not to have hope. It would be best—for everyone—if she just ended it, ended it all.

Annabeth pressed the blade into her chest, but before she could do any real damage she felt a cold hand on hers, jerking the blade away from her. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she saw a very tense and very shaken Percy, Riptide at his feet, casting a light glow on the two of them.

Percy grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, holding her tight enough to leave bruises. He looked so angry, Annabeth was afraid he would hit her. For a second, panic rushed over her as she realized exactly what he was capable of—she'd seen him kill Titans and create hurricanes, after all.

Instead, Percy just yanked her body closer to his, crushing her, folding her in his arms like he couldn't possibly be close enough to her, that even if they were one person it still wouldn't be enough. Annabeth felt his shoulders shook and realized that he was crying.

"Percy—" Annabeth tried to say, fighting back tears of her own, but Percy just cut her off.

"No. Annabeth, don't. Just shut up," he whispered, his voice raspy and scared. "Gods, Annabeth, what the _hell _were you _thinking?!" _

"What's the point anymore, Percy?" Annabeth echoed her previous thoughts, her voice low against his neck. "We're both going to die anyway. And I'm just a burden now. It's my fault we're here in the _first place!_ Why shouldn't I do it?" Annabeth yelled in his ear, and even though her words were vicious, her voice was raw as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I just can't take it anymore, Percy. I can't do it."

She knew if she let the tears fall, they'd come rushing out of her like a broken dam. Everything, _every little thing _she had spent so long working to keep hidden behind those concrete walls would come rushing out.

She'd drown.

At this point, though, Annabeth couldn't have cared less.

Her shoulders shook, hard, and the sobbing had a rippling effect on her body. After her shoulders, went her stomach and her arms and then finally her legs. Annabeth's knees gave out, and Percy was still holding her flush against his body so she didn't fall but was standing limp in his arms.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," Annabeth gasped through her tears, her headache so bad she absently wondered if her head would split open. At least it would dull the pain, she figured. "I'm s-so s-sorry."

Percy pressed his wet lips to her ear and mumbled something over and over that Annabeth couldn't quite hear. His cheeks were still wet with tears even though he had stopped crying when he realized that she safe and wasn't about to take her own life. They weren't kissing, not really—it was more of them just gasping against each other with the occasional desperate kiss.

"_I'm _sorry, Annabeth," Percy said, and he realized that had been what he was saying. Not _I'm sorry, _but _Annabeth. _He had been saying her name. She shivered at the thought, but this time it was a good feeling.

"Percy, stop. I don't want your sympathy," Annabeth pressed a slow, lingering kiss on his lips. She found she had enough strength to stand on her own now, but she didn't pull away from him. They locked eyes, her eyes the kind of gray you find during a storm over the ocean, his the color of the ocean itself and she wondered if maybe that's the reason she's so dependent on him, because maybe the storm and the sea are meant to be so intertwined. "I want you."

Percy just nodded and held her closer, if that was possible. They kissed, and for a moment, everything felt okay, even if it was a broken kind of okay. Because, for a moment, she didn't feel the pain.

"Annabeth, you can't do that," Percy said between kisses. Sapped of their strength, they both fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Percy helped Annabeth until she was sitting on his lip, straddling him. Percy blushed at the though. "Things suck, I know. But you can't... you can't resort to _killing _yourself, Annabeth. Think of how I would've felt."

Annabeth shook her head. "Shut up, Seaweed Brain," she told him, her fingers curling in his hair. "Just kiss me."

Percy complied, pressing his lips harder and harder against Annabeth's, not wanting to ever feel apart from her again. It scared him, what the thought of losing her did to him.

Eventually, their kissing subsided and they lay on the cold, hard ground together, their hands intertwined between them.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Wise Girl," said Percy, pacing a tired kiss on her forehead. Annabeth was too far gone to give a coherent response, but in her mind, she thought, _As long as we're together._

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><p><em><em>**A/N 2: Ew, okay, I didn't like that. Well, it wasn't horrible, but I didn't have a fun time writing it, so I don't think you'll have a fun time reading it. It felt really forced and hurried. But it's 12:50 and I'm tired and I don't feel like editing. Sorry 'bout that. I have a really good one planned for next week, though!  
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**Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, and please, please leave your thoughts in the comments!  
><strong>


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36:Through the Fire  
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**A/N: Alright... I can explain.  
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**So, I literally had my computer taken away from me for a month. And then school and a Scholastic writing contest and a really stupid poetry thing I had to attend and Merlin just all overtook my life. But I've started, like, 5 more chapters. So expect regular Sunday/Thursday updates from now on! (Oh, and even though all of these drabbles have their own title, I chose Through the Fire for this chapter because, really, all of these stories are talking about their life and (especially the last two) moving on from bad experiences.)  
><strong>

**P.S. This is actually a collection of one-shots that were requested by various Tumblr users, so if you follow me on Tumblr, you might've already read these... sorry :). I've got a Capital Punishment debate to write!**

**Disclaimer: nuh-uh.**

**Dedication goes to the wonderful Tumblr user** _calypso-island_ **because she just said something really awesome about the last drabble in this update :D.**

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><p><em>""Life, he says, doesn't have to be so bad all the time. We don't have to be anxious about everything. We can just be. We can get up, anticipate that the day will probably have a few good moments and a few bad ones, and then just deal with it. Take it all in and deal as best we can."<em>-John Corey Whaley, _Where Things Come Back_

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><p><strong>How About a Kiss?<strong>

"Mom, calm down; yes, I have enough sunscreen—_Mom_!" Percy swatted his mother's fussing hands away from his face, wiping off the sticky sunscreen with the corner of his tee-shirt. Beside him, Annabeth snickered.

"Sorry, sorry. I just want you two to be safe." Percy looked at his mom, her body leaning towards the left with her hair swinging in a braid down her back, and wondered why in the world she was even letting them go all the way to Brooklyn for a _date._

"We'll be fine, Sally. Thanks," Annabeth promised, taking her boyfriend's warm hand in hers. "I've got the nectar and ambrosia, so even if there is an attack, which I doubt there will be, we're all set. Oh, and I've got the extra sunscreen."

"It's not you that I'm worried about," Sally muttered under her breath, turning to open the door for the couple. Percy turned and led Annabeth out of the apartment, and Sally smiled at the way his fingers lingered in hers.

The air was hot and weighed heavily on Percy's shoulders, littered with hundreds of conversations and the lingering smell of sticky-sweet patches of deep-fried foods.

"Annabeth, hold up," said Percy, tugging Annabeth's hand toward a long line winding into the crowd of people walking down the cramped boardwalk. Even for late August, neither of them had expected Coney Island to be so busy.

Percy wasn't complaining, though. He loved seeing Annabeth with her white shorts that pretty much _defined_ the word short, and her blue tank-top with the string of her bikini tied around her neck…

"Quit staring at me, Percy. It's freaking me out," Annabeth teased, brushing a hand through his hair and placing a kiss that was exactly Too Short on his lips. Percy put an arm around her shoulder and pecked her cheek, chuckling when Annabeth tried to duck out of the way.

"I like appreciating beautiful things." Annabeth's cheeks flushed red, and Percy was pretty sure it wasn't from the heat. She still wasn't completely used to the sweet compliments Percy would give her time to time, and Percy made sure to drop them frequently because, after all, he was a Boyfriend now, and he was pretty sure that making her blush like that was in the job description. And if it wasn't, well, Percy still liked the way Annabeth ducked her head into his shoulder.

Still walking aimlessly around the boardwalk, not quite yet wanting to lay out on the beach, weaving their way through families with screaming children and various other couples, something caught Annabeth's eye. She stopped suddenly, pulling Percy with her.

Before he could protest, Percy was tugged away from the crowd and into a dark and noisy arcade room advertising a Crane game in the front.

"Bet you five drachmas you can't win," Percy challenged her, leaning on the side of the Crane machine with his arms crossed in a way that Annabeth found _very_ distracting. Measuring her breaths, Annabeth trained her eyes on his face and _not_ the strip of tan skin peeking out from the gap between his low-strung shorts and the hem of his shirt.

"Get ready to eat your words, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth scoffed, sliding two quarters into the machine. She wrapped her hand around the controller, not wanting to think about who else had touched it that day, and urged the crane forward.

She spotted a small blue teddy bear sitting up in the back of the machine and decided to head for that. Positioning the claw right above the bear, she lowered it slowly, and then— _yes!_

Annabeth bent down the retrieve her prize and held it up to Percy's face. "There. Now give me my money."

"I—uh—wow, Annabeth. I didn't know you could do that," Percy admitted, leaning the side of his head against the cool glass of the machine. "And I don't have any drachmas."

Annabeth sighed, running her fingers up Percy's arm in the way that made him tense up, and finally placing her palm against the back of his neck, twisting small strands of his hair in her fingers.

She leaned in close and tried not to measure the shrinking space between them. "How about a kiss instead?" he asked, his eyes trained on her lips. This close, Annabeth could clearly see the small splash of freckles dotting his nose.

Annabeth sighed dramatically. "I guess it'll have to do for now, Jackson." She placed her lips against his, loving the cool feeling of _him_ against _her_, the blue bear completely forgotten, sitting on the edge of the machine.

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><p><strong>Transatlanticism<strong>

The thing about life is that bad things don't usually happen on A Dark and Stormy Night; they happen on A Perfectly Good Day, when the sun is shining and you can't stop smiling and you're thinking to yourself, gods, I love this. And that's what it was, A Perfectly Good Day. Well, until he got The Call, that is.

The phone rang out three times before Percy answered it.

"Percy?" The voice was scared. Small. Feminine. Sounded like summer, smelled like lemons.

"Hello? Who is this?" Suddenly, it hit him. Blond curls and grey eyes streaked his vision. "Annabeth?" he asked.

"Percy," she whimpered. It was definitely Annabeth. Percy was sure of it.

"Annabeth! What's wrong?" his voice was hoarse in the speaker. Fear boiled in his stomach, filled his lungs, reached his throat and burned it. The last time he'd gotten a call like this—The Call, as Percy had come to recognize it, with the shaking voices full of tears—it'd been to tell him and Annabeth that Dakota had died. Percy used the last of his strength to shove that thought from his mind; Annabeth was fine.

"I'm… I'm at the train station. Monster attack. Hurry, please?" Her voice was small, nearly a whisper. Percy told her a hasty "Sure," and threw in a small "Stay where you are," for good measure. Not bothering to write out a note for his mom or Paul, Percy snatched his keys from the old coffee table in the living room and ran out the door, leaving the ring he'd been fiddling with spinning by the phone.

"_Annabeth?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Just… be safe, okay?"_

_The wind blew Percy's hair across his face, cutting his vision into strips. Annabeth ran the side of her index finger under her eyes, muttering a breathy "Allergies". Percy took a step toward her and wrapped his arms around her, grateful for the patch of warmth in the freezing wind._

_Percy bent down and pressed a kiss to Annabeth's temple. She let out a shaky sigh, the ghost of her breath lacing itself in the fabric Percy's jacket, reaching, reaching, reaching to the warmth of his heart. _

"_Promise you'll come back to me?" he asked, rubbing his nose against her cheek. Annabeth smiled._

"_Depends if I meet any cute life guards at the beach," she muttered. He gasped, pretending to be offended. Percy's warm breath skimmed the top of her hair._

"_Just kidding; although, I'm pretty sure Susan would be all for it. She doesn't really like you," Annabeth admitted. Although Percy hated seeing Annabeth go, especially for _two weeks_, he thought it was a good idea for her to go visit her family for Christmas in San Francisco. _

"_I'll call you every day," he promised, hearing the sound of the train whistle in the background, quickly catching up to where they stood hugging on the platform._

"_You better," said Annabeth, placing a long, lingering kiss on Percy's lips._

_Reluctantly, he let her go, watching her blond pony-tail hitting the middle of her back in a rhythmic pattern with every step she took._

Bright, staggering lights lined the platform. Blinking the white spots from his vision, Percy turned around frantically, searching, searching, _searching_—

When he saw the yellow tape, it felt like the cold January wind was reaching inside of his chest, freezing his lungs, stopping his heart in its track.

_No, no, no!_ Curses streamed across his mind like a teleprompter; he was too shocked to say any out loud.

Percy ran to the crime scene and pushed past the police, ran under the yellow _Caution!_ tape, straight the girl on the gurney with the white bloody sheet.

She had come back to him alright.

"Excuse me, sir, you can't just—"

"I'm her fiancé!" he shouted. The voice quieted down immediately. Although he hadn't actually proposed yet—he was going to do it that night—the words just sounded right. Solid. And he desperately needed something to hang on to.

There's an extreme kind of loss one feels when experiencing the death of a loved one—a terrible transatlanticism, a kind unable to be breached. And Percy hated it, hated himself for not getting there faster, hated the gods for letting this happen, hated her for dying…

Percy grasped Annabeth's cold hand and pressed his forehead to hers. He blinked a stream of tears out of his eyes. If he ignored her pale face and all the blood and her still, ripped-up chest, he could almost pretend that she was sleeping, that he could lie down next to her and join her in her sleep.

But that was more than a little hard to do with Annabeth's dried blood staining his fingertips.

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><p><strong>The Best Thing That Ever Happened<strong>

Sunlight filtered in their small apartment bedroom, landing in scattered strips on the blue carpet from the slanted blinds. Percy was lying next to Annabeth on the small bed that they had squished up against the window when they first moved in together. The blankets were at a crumpled heap at their feet, light blue comforters over grey sheets. Percy was tracing patterns on Annabeth's back, his fingers trailing over the bare skin above the line of her tank top. The air smelled of lemons, or maybe it was just her hair, Percy thought absently.

He drew a heart between her shoulder blades. "Hey, Annabeth?"

"Hmm?" she mumbled into her pillow.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Okay, good." He paused, unsure of what to say next. "Uh… I was wondering…" suddenly, Percy felt very shy and very, very stupid. _If she wanted this, she would be the one to tell _you, _idiot, _Percy chided himself. He cursed under his breath and muttered a soft "Never mind."

Annabeth turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She fitted her head in the hollow between his neck and his shoulder and kissed the place where they met, something she'd started doing after they'd escaped from Tartarus when holding hands just _wasn't enough _anymore.

"Seriously, Percy," she prompted, smiling against his collar bone. "Tell me."

He shook his head, his messy black hair falling in his eyes. "It's stupid."

"Percy, tell me." Annabeth fixed him with a glare, and it was all he could do not to turn away. "Please?"

He let out a long, heavy sigh, watching as pieces of dust swirled in the air, caught in a ray of light, spinning, twirling, dancing—free.

"I was just thinking… do you… you know…"

"No, I _don't _know, Percy."

"Do you want to have kids?" he asked in a single breath, his lungs still half-full of air and anticipation.

"Percy, if this is your way of asking for sex—"

"No! I mean, if you want to, sure, but that's not what I was saying…" Percy took a deep breath of the warm, stuffy air. He looked at her across their pillow with steady eyes, flickers of blue heat behind the green. "I really want to have kids."

A small smile wrote itself across Annabeth's face. She rubbed her thumb across his cheek, cupping the side of Percy's face with her hand. "Are you serious?" He nodded.

"I'm serious; I really, really want to have a baby." It felt good to say it, to make it something solid instead of just the words that were constantly sitting on his tongue, slowly becoming too stale to possibly say.

Of course, they'd talked about it before, but they were never totally _serious _about it_. _It'd always been casual, or a dream for way, way in the future. But now, at 25, that future was here

Annabeth's smile faltered then fell from her lips altogether, her eyebrows being dragged down with it, creasing in the middle. "Percy…" she swallowed hard and slipped her fingers through his, their hands clasped between them. "We can't have kids."

Of course, Percy was terrified of the thought of being completely responsible for a _child_, but, somehow, he knew that he and Annabeth were ready."Why? I mean, you love Piper and Jason's baby. We both have steady jobs, a steady marriage—" Annabeth cut him off.

"It's… it's not that." She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were cloudy and nearly black. Tears smudged her lashes, threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. "I mean, we really _can't _have kids. _I _can't."

Percy pursed his lips and tightened his grip on her hand. "What?" he asked in a small, gentle voice, too afraid of breaking her to say anything else.

"I… I went to the doctor about two months ago, when I thought I might've been pregnant. But, after some tests…" she let go of his hand to wipe the tears off her face. "I didn't want to tell you, because I knew you wanted kids… I—I'm sorry…"

His kindling eyes burst into flames as he watched her resolve crumble with her tears, like books and papers dissolving in the rain. He pulled her closer and brought one of her legs up over his, moving so that she was completely in his arms, their bodies intertwined.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he whispered against her shoulder. "I love you," he murmured against her lips, kissing them slowly. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."

Annabeth quietly closed the door behind her, flicked on the dim hallway light and hung her wet jacket up in the closet. Her hair was specked with raindrops. "Percy?" she called, her heart still racing from the news. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

"Kitchen!" called Percy, his voice carrying down the hall. Annabeth brushed her hair back and fixed her shirt, stretching it out to make sure he wouldn't notice anything yet. So far, she'd been pretty lucky, but Percy had gotten a little suspicious when she'd suddenly dropped her coffee addiction two weeks ago.

Walking into their small kitchen, Annabeth smiled. Percy was sitting on the counter, holding a rose. "Happy anniversary," he smiled, hopping down and pressing his lips against hers. When they finally came up for air, he handed her the rose, careful of the thorns. Her smile widened, realizing how he must've asked a child of Demeter for a fresh one.

"Did Katie give you this rose?" Annabeth asked, walking around his to sit down at the kitchen table.

"How did you know?" Percy walked over to the fridge, filled up a glass with water and handed it to Annabeth.

"Psychic," she teased, placing the flower in the glass, running her fingers over its petals. She looked up at him, still in his blue Aquarium Staff shirt, his eyes full of love, and realized, in that moment, that he was the best thing that ever happened to her.

"I got us reservation at six at that new restaurant you said you wanted to try—"

"Let's just stay in tonight. We can order pizza and pretend to watch Disney movies." She stood up, grabbed his hand, and ignored his sarcastic, "Isn't that what we do anyway?" Annabeth walked him over to the living room and let him sit down on the couch. When he tried to pull her down with him, she shook her head and stood back up.

"I have something to tell you." She clenched her hands, praying that they'd stop shaking so badly. She had no clue why she was so nervous. _Out with it, Annabeth. Just say it. _"I'm pregnant."

Percy just sat there, his eyes wide and his left mouth slightly open. Annabeth tried not to laugh at his expression. "You're… you're _what?"_ he stammered, eyes darting across her face. Finding nothing there to show she was kidding, they moved down to stare at her stomach.

"I'm pregnant, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth breathed, suddenly unable to believe it herself. She turned at sat down in his lap, his arms easily winding around her waist. "You're gonna be a daddy."

"But… but I thought… I mean, I thought you couldn't…"

Annabeth laughed, leaning her forehead against his. "So did I. But I just got back from the doctor's, and she confirmed it. We're gonna have a baby."

Percy smiled—his crooked, truly happy smile that she so rarely got to see—and he kissed her. He pulled her back so they were lying down on the couch, Annabeth on top. Percy leaned up and kissed her again, leaving lingering kisses on the corner of her mouth, far too close to her lips for Annabeth's liking. "Okay, we're _definitely _cancelling those reservations now."


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: Hey guys! Um, alright, so i just wanted to let you all know that I won't be posting much on here anymore... I mean, yeah, I'll still upload stuff, but not faithfully or anything. You should all go follow me on tumblr and become my friend. (Link's on my profile page.)**

**Dedication goes to **_clarityofhatred_** on tumblr who requested this.**

**Disclaimer: not miiiiiineeeee.**

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><p><em>"I need you so much closer."-<em> Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism

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><p>The fall is long and hard.<p>

There's nothing but sharp slices of wind against their flesh and emptiness all around them. Oblivion engulfs them in a cold second that freezes over so quickly that it ends up feeling like forever, and they _just keep falling._

They don't hit the ground like they were expecting. Instead, there's a thin strip of water with a ring of fire peeling back the burnt ground by the banks. Annabeth's vision goes white—(of the blinding kind)—and suddenly she's pried from his grip and it feels like tar is filling up her lungs when she tries to breathe and she knows it's only water but it feels far too heavy in her chest to be _just water_, so she wonders if there isn't something else, something not in the water but inside of her already. She can't see past the explosion of bubbles, and Annabeth thinks that if bubbles are strong enough to keep Them apart then they really don't have any chances of making it out alive.

She sees a flash in the water like quicksilver and there's a tight pressure on her arm. Fear drips into her body slowly, as if she was hooked up to an IV full of it. She kicks and struggles, her broken ankle tightening painfully with every thrust.

When one is struggling to breathe and struggling to break free and just _struggling, _she often tends to think of the sky. She images what it might be like to breathe it in, to have the power to hold the universe in one hand. She desperately craves it, so she could change her fate with the swipe of a hand. And it's only when a pocket of air forms around her head does she spit it out and jerks back into her grey reality.

Annabeth's not sure where the light is coming from, but she doesn't have enough oxygen to think. Her heart feels cracked in her chest, but it might just be her ribs. Either way, when she hears Percy's voice, it's like a needle and thread sowing her back up, and she's grateful.

"Annabeth," he says, his voice scratching the air like sandpaper. "Annabeth."

She looks at him, her eyes trained on Percy's face. There, it's not so bad. A few bruises dotting his skin. A trickling gash on his cheek. And then it gets bad.

Percy's shoulder is shredded, weather by the wind or the impact, she isn't sure. The fabric of his blue tee-shirt hangs down in strips, and she desperately hopes none of it's his skin. She reaches forward, her trembling fingers tracing lines down his cheek, his neck, his arm, and, finally, braiding with his hand. His back is stiff but his eyes are melting and scared and she isn't really sure what to do.

"Are you alright?" she asks.

"Annabeth." He doesn't know why, but he can't stop saying her name. His voice is very small, almost limp in his throat. "Annabeth."

In that moment, something breaks and something heals, and Annabeth's not sure which one is worse. She's not sure of anything anymore, she realizes, except of how her head fits just right in the hollow of Percy's neck. And she thinks that maybe, just maybe, it might be enough.

"Percy," she says, "I know." And she does.

* * *

><p>Percy's breathing is short and loud.<p>

He's sitting next to her, and there's nothing between them but the thin ribbed fabric of their clothes. Annabeth tries hard not to count the layers between _just him _and _just her. Only four, _she thinks, tapping patterns beneath the cut on Percy's hip. And she feels drained, like a faucet that someone forgot to turn off all the way, and the hunger is knotting in her stomach, but there's nothing she can do about it so she nuzzles her head against Percy's cheek and closes her eyes, pretending that the flashes of light behind her eyelids are from streetlamps and not dizziness.

His breathing is hot on her neck—too hot, really; she should say something. But she can't, because even though his elbow is pressed sharply into her stomach and there's blood all over where her hand rests on his side, she's much too small to handle the weight of letting go.

The scars on her arm stretch white—(of the shimmery kind)—against her skin. Her hair falls down in dirty strips across her chest, smelling strongly of blood. Annabeth presses her cheek against Percy's shoulder and breathes in His Scent of sweat and blood and, even in Tartarus, a bit of the ocean. She's glad that's still there. Her fingers dash over the marks on Percy's palm.

"I miss you," she whispers, looking up at Percy, clumps of black hair framing his face. Bruises marked his cheeks, turning the skin around them a sickening shade of yellow. Percy blinked as if he was just stumbling into reality, which she didn't really doubt at four days and counting stuck in hell. He'd been doing that a lot lately, drifting off so deep inside himself that she couldn't possible reach him. She wished that she could rip him open and crawl inside and at least be with him in there if not bring him back, but she couldn't. All she could do was wait and watch as the light in his eyes faded and then blinked out altogether.

"You—what? I'm right here."

"No, you're not," Annabeth said in a breathy voice, her neck crooked at a nervous angle. Percy stared at her. She hoped that he'd read her like might a map, bending close so his warm breath skimmed her face, run his fingers down her spine, across the countries and over the seas and settling beyond the page with his hand pressed in hers. She wanted him to read her like that—like he used to—with her completely spread out and open like the steady words on a page.

"What are you talking about?"

He didn't, of course. He read her like a long, cursive script—all jumbled up and missing some of the most crucial parts. There was a dull aching in her chest, like something was breaking, or like she was missing something, as if she was starving for something other than food.

"Seriously, Annabeth."

"You are _not _right here. That's the problem; you're not really _here._ You're distracted. I can tell." She could feel him slipping away, and she searched for anything, _anything _that she could use to keep him from going.

Quickly, she braided words together like a rope and threw it towards him, praying to the gods that he'd catch it and listen. "You're everything to me. I can't lose you."

She repeated the words she'd told her mother, her head pounding and her eyes stinging. "Please," she said, though she wasn't quite sure what it was that she was asking for.

Percy was still for a moment, Annabeth's words finally wrapping around him, a rope pulling him back towards her. Percy tightened his arms around Annabeth and dropped his chin to the top of her head, his breath skimming her hair and brushing pieces away with every exhale.

He knew the moment probably called for some long-winded declaration of his burning love for her, but Percy's tongue felt too heavy in his mouth. He tried to say something, even something as simple as an _I love you, _or _I need you, too, _but "Okay," was all he said.


End file.
